The long-awaited July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum in Dhaka welcomed its first visitors on Thursday, drawing hundreds of people from across the country eager to explore the newly inaugurated site.
However, the opening day was marred by long queues and ticketing confusion, with many visitors reporting sold-out online tickets, an unclear offline ticketing system, and hours of waiting before being allowed inside.
An on-site visit found long queues stretching outside the museum, with many visitors saying they had been waiting since early morning. Several people arrived without tickets, claiming they were unaware that advance booking was required, while others questioned the decision to introduce ticketing. A limited number of visitors were seen entering the museum after noon.
Mohammad Habibur Rahman, who travelled from Noakhali with his father, said they had come to Dhaka solely to visit the museum.
"We came yesterday (Wednesday), but visitors were not allowed in because of the inauguration. So we returned today (Thursday)."
Mohammad Rakib from Gazipur said he had been waiting in line since 9am.
"I knew the museum wouldn't be open to visitors yesterday (Wednesday) because of the inauguration. That's why I came today (Thursday). It's almost noon, but we're still waiting with no explanation."
Faizul Hossain from Jurain, who identified himself as a participant in the July movement, questioned the ticketing system.
"We've been standing here since 8am and got caught in the rain twice. There's no proper offline ticketing, and many of us can't buy tickets online. At the very least, they should tell us why we're not being allowed in."
Raj, who came from Savar with friends, said the online booking system showed all tickets booked until August 10, while no offline ticket counter was visible.
"We arrived around 9am. It's already noon, and we still don't know when we'll be able to enter."
Another visitor from Savar, Mohammad Rana, said he could neither secure an online ticket nor purchase one at the venue despite arriving around 8:30am.
Bablul Akhtar, who came from Farmgate with his son, said they had been waiting since 8am.
"They aren't giving us clear information. Sometimes they let a few people in, then close the gate again. We have no idea when our turn will come."
Abdul Kader, who travelled from Narail, said visitors received conflicting information throughout the morning.
"At first, they said only those with online tickets could enter. Later, they said offline tickets would be available. They keep changing their statements."
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday inaugurated the museum at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar at 9am.
The museum operates a time-slot-based entry system to manage the expected high volume of visitors. Applicants will be informed in advance of their allotted visiting time through the online booking system.