Bangladesh mourning for martyrs of July Uprising

The Bangladesh flag flew at half-mast to commemorate those who died during the protests that ousted the Awami League government

The government is observing a day of state mourning to commemorate “July Martyrs Day” through various programmes.

On Wednesday morning, the Bangladesh flag could be seen at half-mast at the Secretariat and other government offices in Dhaka.

A day earlier, the Cabinet Division issued a gazette declaring Jul 16 a day of state mourning.

A prayer service has been scheduled for the souls of the martyrs at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque after Zuhr prayers. The government has also requested other mosques and religious institutions across the country to hold prayer services as well.

The July 2024 protests originally began over demands for reforming the quota system in government jobs, but soon evolved into a movement to topple the Awami League government.

On Jul 16, 2024, Begum Rokeya University student Abu Sayed was shot dead by police during a demonstration in Rangpur. Five other people were killed in violence across the country.

Video of Abu Sayed’s shooting inflamed social media, sparking a response that eventually culminated in a student-led mass movement that ended the Awami League’s 15-year rule on Aug 5, 2025, when Sheikh Hasina stepped down as prime minister and fled to India.

Three days later, on Aug 8, 2024, an interim government led by Muhammad Yunus assumed power.

To commemorate the anniversary of the uprising, the government announced a 36-day programme from Jul 1 to Aug 5. The observance of July Martyrs Day is part of the broader initiative.

The interim government initially proposed to designate Jul 16 as Abu Sayed Day, but later announced that it would be called “July Martyrs Day”.