CHATTOGRAM, Feb 7, 2025 (BSS) - Liberation War, Relief and Disaster Management Adviser Faruk-e-Azam Bir Pratik today said that July Mass Uprising was a struggle to establish a justified society, in which young people took to the streets against authoritarian repression for restoration of democracy.  

 “Let the desire of youth to preserve history of July Revolution be fulfilled.  The government has already stood by the families of martyrs and injured in the July Uprising. The interim government has taken the responsibility of providing proper treatment to the injured persons. Many are being treated abroad,” he said.

Advisor Faruk-e-Azam said these while inaugurating as chief guest a two-day 'Art Exhibition' titled 'The Art of Democracy, - a Journey of Unity' at the Art Gallery of local Shilpakala Academy this afternoon.

Faruk-e-Azam expressed his hope that the trial of the July massacres be speeded up. Any sorts of discrimination cannot be tolerated anymore and society must bring back to a coherent approach, he added.     

Speaking at the function as special guest, City Mayor Dr. Shahadat Hossain said all struggles of the national history – from 1952 Language Movement to Liberation War in 1971 - were against the discrimination.

“Although the July Revolution was created by the anti-discrimination student movement, it is basically a struggle of the people against fascist regime,” he added.

After the inauguration of the exhibition, which began with the slogan "Let's unite again in the mass tide of unity", the guests and visitors visited the exhibition areas covering second and third floors of the Shilpakala Art Gallery.

 One hundred and sixty photographs of the 2018’s anti-quota movement and 2024’s anti-discrimination student movement were on display.

 The organizers said that as part of creating a pictorial archive across the country to preserve the history of the anti-discrimination student movement, an initiative has been taken to create international-standard visual films, publish photographic archive books, magazines and create information-based websites.

Earlier, the exhibition was organized with photographs, slogans, graffiti of the mass movement of 24, and the teaser of a documentary made on the July Revolution.

Before formal inauguration ceremony, the cover of a special publication based on the history of the July Revolution was unveiled at the auditorium of the Shilpakala Academy.

 Preparation of making a documentary based on the history of the July Revolution is underway and to this end, an agreement was signed with international streaming company 'Netflix'.

 Project director Minhaj Uddin said, 'The art of democracy, - a Journey of unity” is a collective effort to preserve the memory and history of the bloody July-August mass uprising. Under the project], an elaborate programmes have been taken which includes photo exhibitions, documentary production, archive books and database websites on campuses of different educational institutions throughout the year.

The art of democracy, unity - a Journey of unity project advisor Wahid Zaman said, “An initiative has been taken to make documentaries, publish archive books, and magazines in order to propagate the history of the July Revolution internationally and to convey the message of unity against evil forces to future generations. Basically, today, the entire project was inaugurated through an exhibition of various events of the July Revolution”.

 Students of the anti-discrimination movement who participated in the July 2024 mass uprising were also present at the event. The exhibition featured pictures of various important moments of the mass uprising, recollections of the protesters, and discussions on the future movement.
 
In the exhibition, Ifrad Abid and Sumi Sharmin, Al Mahmud bin Shamsuddin, Minhaj Uddin, Iffat Fairuz Ifa and Sumaiya Khanam presented the entire project of preserving the history of the anti-discrimination student movement to the audience.