A state ceremony marking the second anniversary of the July Mass Uprising descended into protests on Wednesday after audience members accused the government of distorting the movement’s history through an official documentary, forcing ministers to apologise and promise immediate corrections.
The unprecedented disruption unfolded in the presence of Acting President Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center, where families of July martyrs, injured protesters, students and political activists interrupted the program with chants of “Fake, fake” after the documentary was screened.
The protest briefly threw the nationally televised event into disorder, prompting members of the acting president’s security detail to take positions on the stage and inside the auditorium while several invited foreign guests left the venue amid the commotion.
The controversy centred on allegations that the documentary failed to accurately portray the July uprising, omitted key developments -- particularly the events of August 3 -- and inadequately reflected the sacrifices of protesters and the movement’s leadership.
As slogans echoed through the auditorium, organisers repeatedly appealed for calm, but the protest continued.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed eventually addressed the gathering, inviting protesters to speak from the stage and urging them to remain seated.
Seeking to defuse tensions, he requested National Citizen Party (NCP) Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain to address the audience.
Akhtar acknowledged the concerns raised by protesters, saying the documentary contained “inconsistencies” that required correction.
“We have also seen the inconsistencies in the documentary,” he said.
“The events of August 3 are completely absent. We will raise these issues with the government and seek accountability from the ministry. But on this historic day, we must remain calm out of respect for the families of the martyrs.”
Following his appeal, Akhtar and other NCP leaders left the venue after taking permission from the acting president.
As protests continued, Liberation War Affairs Minister Ahmed Aazam Khan returned to the stage and publicly apologised to the audience.
“Today’s documentary has caused you pain,” he said.
“The July movement and the mass uprising belong to all of us. We will carefully review every inconsistency, including the omission of the events of August 3, and take immediate steps to correct them.”
He also assured the audience that the documentary would be reviewed in consultation with representatives of the martyrs’ families and injured July fighters before being revised.
Only after the minister’s apology and commitment to amend the film did the protesters withdraw their objections, allowing the remainder of the program to proceed.
The event, organised by the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, began with a reception for the families of July martyrs and injured July fighters before the documentary was shown.