On the occasion of the first anniversary of the historic July Mass Uprising, a month-long seminar series was organized by Dhaka University.
As part of this series, separate seminars were held on Thursday at various departments including the Faculty of Arts.
Speakers at these seminars expressed a united commitment to building an equitable and just society in remembrance of the July warriors’ sacrifice.
Faculty of Arts :
A seminar titled “July Uprising 2024: Repetition of History and Reconstruction” was held at the R.C. Majumdar Arts Auditorium under the initiative of the Faculty of Arts.
The seminar was presided over by the Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education), Professor Dr. Mamun Ahmed, who is also the convener of the academic seminar organizing committee on the July Uprising at Dhaka University.
Pro-Vice Chancellor (Administration) Prof Dr. Saima Haque Bidisha and Treasurer Prof Dr. M. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury also addressed the seminar.
Prof Dr. Kazi Mostak Gausul Haque of the Department of Information Science and Library Management presented the keynote paper. The Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Professor Dr. Mohammad Siddiqur Rahman Khan, gave the welcome speech, and Professor Dr. Md. Abul Kalam Sarkar from the Department of Persian Language and Literature conducted the event. The program began with a prayer for the martyrs of the uprising and a one-minute silence was observed in their honour.
Associate Prof Tasneem Siraj Mahbub of the Department of English and Associate Prof Dr. Shafi Md. Mostafa of the Department of World Religions and Culture participated in the discussion.
Md. Hanif Biswas, a student of Persian Language and Literature, and Mumtahina Mahzabin Mohona, a student of the Department of History, shared memories.
Department of Organization Strategy and Leadership :
A seminar was held at the Professor Abdullah Faruq Multipurpose Conference Hall under the initiative of the Department of Organization Strategy and Leadership.
Treasurer Prof Dr. M. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury was present as the chief guest. The seminar was chaired by the department’s chairman Md. Rashedur Rahman. Dean of the Faculty of Business Studies, Prof Dr. Mahmud Osman Imam, was present as a special guest.
Prof Dr. Muhammad Shariat Ullah and Assistant Professor Sharmin Akter participated in the discussion.
Students of the department—Rashed Khan Atik, Nafiza, Hasan Ahmed Raju, Rakib Rana Masud, and Nafiz Al Sheikh—shared their thoughts.
Department of Physics :
A seminar was also held at the Department of Physics, where Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education) Professor Dr. Mamun Ahmed was the chief guest.
The seminar was chaired by the department chairman, ProfDr. Md. Aminul Islam Talukder.
Professors Dr. Sabina Hossain, Dr. Khondaker Sadat Hossain, Dr. Md. Waheduzzaman, and Dr. Mohammad Shahjahan addressed the seminar.
Department of Chemistry :
The Department of Chemistry organized a seminar to commemorate the July Uprising. Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education) Prof Dr. Mamun Ahmed was the chief guest and inaugurated a photo booth based on the uprising.
The seminar was chaired by department chairperson Prof Dr. Farida Begum. Prof Dr. Md. Emran Kaiyum and Prof Dr. Tanvir Muslim also spoke on the occasion.
Department of Psychology :
The Department of Psychology organized a seminar titled “July in the Heart: Bleeding Hearts, Celebration of Victory’s Anniversary” at the Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban. Pro-Vice Chancellor (Administration) Professor Dr. Saima Haque Bidisha was the chief guest. The seminar was chaired by department chairman Professor Dr. A.K.M. Rezaul Karim. Dean of the Faculty of Biological Sciences, Professor Dr. Md. Enamul Haque, was present as a special guest.
Pro-Vice Chancellor (Administration) Professor Dr. Saima Haque Bidisha said, the uprising was an outburst of long-standing anger, hatred, and frustration among the people. From injustices in society to systemic flaws and lack of good governance, people of all levels joined spontaneously.
Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education) Prof Dr. Mamun Ahmed said, as an educational institution, it is our duty to integrate the July Uprising into academic discourse. That sense of responsibility inspired this month-long seminar series.
Treasurer Prof Dr. M. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said, we were unsure whether the autocratic regime would fall, yet we risked our lives to stand against injustice. People from all walks of life joined the movement.
