Staff Reporter:
Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury yesterday said the July Memorial Museum is expected to be inaugurated officially soon as the construction and renovation works have almost been completed.
Addressing a press conference at the Ministry of Cultural Affairs here, he said the recruitment of man-power will be finalized at the first meeting of the newly formed Board of Trustees within the next cou-ple of days.
He said the museum would then be officially inaugurated at the earliest, subject to the convenience and approval of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
The minister said the people of the country had become frustrated under the misrule of the then prime minister and that the historic mass uprising reflected their long-accumulated grievances.
He added, in line with a decision of the interim government and following an assessment of the signifi-cance, scale and impact of the uprising, initiative was taken to establish the “July Mass Uprising Memo-rial Museum.”
He further said that after assuming office, the present government introduced the structural changes and legal refinements to make the project more comprehensive and sustainable.
Responding to several questions regarding the delay in the museum’s inauguration and the project costs, the minister said a board of trustees had already been constituted to oversee its management.
He noted that during the tenure of the interim government, the Director General of the National Museum had been given additional responsibility for the project.
Besides, he said a full-fledged museum requires a permanent staffing structure and a clearly defined or-ganizational framework.
The process of obtaining legal approvals and amending the relevant regulations in coordination with the Ministry of Public Administration and other concerned agencies had taken some time, he added.
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Cultural Affairs, Dr. Zahed Ur Rahman, outlined a series of special pro-grammes undertaken by the ministry to uphold the spirit of the July uprising.
He said the Cultural Affairs Ministry had launched special initiatives to preserve the memory and spirit of the July Mass Uprising and to spread its message across the country.
According to the adviser, all institutions under the ministry will organize cultural programs, exhibitions and competitions nationwide beginning today.
Dr. Jahed Ur Rahman said July 15 holds special significance, as students took to the streets shortly after midnight on July 14 and attacks were carried out against the students, particularly female students, on July 15.
He said those events accelerated the wave of sacrifice that culminated on July 16.
He called upon the media professionals to help promote the programs and disseminate the significance of these landmark days among the public.
State Minister for Cultural Affairs Ali Newaz Mahmud Khaiyam and Cultural Affairs Secretary Kaniz Moula attended the press conference.
