This day marks the first anniversary of the July Uprising, which will be commemorated as "Mass Uprising Day." The interim government, along with various political parties and socio-cultural organizations, has planned a series of programs to honor the occasion. The primary aim is to remember and pay tribute to the sacrifices made by participants in the uprising—many of whom were young.
The interim government has finalized the draft of the July Declaration, which will be presented to the nation at 5pm on Tuesday. This announcement was made in a message from the Directorate of Information. The declaration will be officially unveiled at Manik Mia Avenue in the capital.
The July Declaration will be formally presented at a special rally at the South Plaza of the National Parliament, in the presence of all parties involved in the uprising. A source from the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing confirmed this on Sunday.
To commemorate the occasion, the government has organized a day-long event at Manik Mia Avenue on August 5, with final preparations currently underway. Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus is expected to attend the program.
A prior message from the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing, issued on Saturday, also confirmed that the interim government had finalized the declaration. A related post on the Chief Adviser’s official Facebook page said: “July 36th — Last year, the world witnessed an unimaginable mass uprising on this day. As a result, the fascists fled Bangladesh. The entire nation was united through the blood of martyrs and the sacrifices of warriors. A wave of jubilant people surged forward.”
The post continued: “Now, a year later, July 36th has returned. On this day, the long-awaited 'July Declaration' will be announced. There will be a day-long celebration at Manik Mia Avenue. Let us come together with our families to celebrate July 36th—our history, our pride.”
The event is being organized by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, with management by the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy and support from the Bangladesh National Parliament Secretariat.
Additional details were provided in a notice signed by Md. Rubel Rana, Senior Information Officer at the Directorate of Information. Quoting the Press Information Department (PID), the notice read: "The interim government has finalized the draft of the July Declaration. It will be presented to the nation on August 5, 2025, at 5 pm."
According to the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing, the declaration will be presented in the presence of all those who participated in the mass uprising.
The idea for a declaration was first raised in late December last year by the anti-discrimination student movement. In response, the government decided to issue the July Declaration.
General holiday
The government has officially declared August 5 as “July Mass Uprising Day,” making this day a general holiday. The day will now be observed annually as Student-Mass Uprising Day, with a nationwide public holiday.
Earlier this month, the Cabinet Division issued a notification categorizing August 5 as an ‘A’ category observance in the official calendar of national and international days.
Cultural Affairs Adviser Mustafa Sarwar Farooqui shared this information at a press briefing held at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka on Thursday. The briefing was organized to highlight decisions taken at a recent Advisory Council meeting.
The cultural adviser said: “August 5 will be observed annually as Student-Mass Uprising Day. It will be a government holiday. Commemorative programs will begin on July 1, with the main events running from July 14 to August 5.”
All banking and financial institutions will remain closed, although digital services such as ATMs, online banking, and mobile banking will remain operational. The stock market, as well as government, semi-government, and autonomous offices, will also be closed. Several private institutions have declared holidays at their discretion.
Additionally, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has announced a general holiday for all garment factories across the country on August 5 to mark the anniversary of the uprising.
The day-long commemorative event at the National Parliament premises will feature musical performances by various artist groups from 11 am to 4:45 pm. A special “Fascist Escape” segment will be held at 2:25 pm. The historic July Declaration will be read at 5 pm. A drone show is scheduled for 7:30 pm, followed by a performance by the popular band Artcell at 8 pm.
Victory rallies and programs
The BNP will hold nationwide “Victory Rallies” to mark the first anniversary of the July Uprising. Rallies will be held in all police stations and upazilas, and in all districts and metropolitan cities tomorrow (August 6).
According to a press release signed by BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, these rallies aim to commemorate the fall of “Awami fascism” and the triumph of students and the people during last year’s uprising.
In Dhaka, the main rally will begin tomorrow at 2 pm in front of the BNP central office in Nayapaltan.
