Staff Correspondent

Dhaka Deputy Administrator Farida Khanam on Thursday urged everyone to build a discrimination-free, just, and humane Bangladesh by upholding the spirit of sacrifice demonstrated by the martyrs of the July-August mass uprising.

She made the call during a discussion meeting organized at the Dhaka Deputy Commissioner's conference room to mark 'July Martyrs' Day.'

The event was attended by family members of the July martyrs, injured July warriors, general participants of the movement, civil society representatives, and officials from various government departments.

DC Farida Khanam stated that July 16 stands as a unique day of sacrifice, courage, and a new journey in the national history of Bangladesh. "On this day in 2024, the exemplary sacrifice of Shahid Abu Sayeed, a student of Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur who stood broad-chested against injustice, awakened the nation's conscience and injected new momentum into the mass uprising," she said.

Paying deep tribute to Shahid Abu Sayeed, Shahid Wasim Akram, and all the martyrs who lost their lives during the July-August uprising, she prayed for the eternal peace of their departed souls. She also expressed her deep condolences to the bereaved families and wished for the speedy recovery of those injured.

"The courageous movement of students and the general public against 16 years of fascist misrule, oppression, and injustice opened a new chapter in the country's history. The supreme sacrifice of Shahid Abu Sayeed provided new strength and direction to that movement," Farida Khanam noted. She added, "The sacrifices of countless martyrs, the injured, and the struggling masses remind us that freedom, justice, and democratic values are never achieved without a price."

The Dhaka DC emphasized that the 'New Bangladesh' is not just a matter of pride, but a shared responsibility. She committed that the Dhaka district administration would work with the utmost sincerity, honesty, and professionalism to establish a citizen-friendly, transparent, accountable, discrimination-free, and service-oriented administration to realize the dreams of the martyrs. Delivering swift, easy, and equitable public services to the doorsteps of the common people remains the core pledge of the district administration, she added.

She further stressed that simply remembering the martyrs is not enough; their ideals, courage, patriotism, and sense of justice must be mirrored across personal, social, and state levels. Only then will their sacrifices truly find fulfillment, enabling the creation of a just and equitable nation.

The discussion concluded with special prayers and supplications (doa-munajat) seeking the salvation of the souls of the July-August martyrs and the rapid recovery of the injured.