Khulna: Administrator of Khulna City Corporation (KCC) and Divisional Commissioner Md Firoz Sarkar today emphasized that only parents can truly understand the pain of losing a child, highlighting the need for national recognition of the sacrifices made during the July uprising. “We can never bring back those who sacrificed their lives. But to honour their memory, formal recognition in the form of a ‘July Charter’ is essential,” he stated while addressing a special gathering titled “Mothers of July” at Shaheed Altaf Auditorium of KCC this afternoon.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the programme, held as part of the ongoing July Reawakening observance, was organised by the Department of Women Affairs, Khulna, with support from the Khulna District Administration and Khulna City Corporation. The event commenced with a solemn tribute to the mothers of all martyrs of the July Movement, featuring a documentary on the uprising. The documentary, capturing moments of resistance, loss, and hope, deeply moved many in the audience, especially bereaved families and student representatives.
In his address, the KCC Administrator remarked that the July uprising marked the end of a prolonged national crisis and gifted the country a renewed democratic spirit, albeit at a painful cost. “It is the parents who bear the deepest scars of this victory,” he added.
Among others who spoke were Nurun Nahar Begum, mother of martyred student Sheikh Md. Sakib Rayhan; Additional Police Superintendent (D-Circle) Abu Siddiq Shubhra; BNP city unit president Advocate Shafiqul Alam Mona; Khulna Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary Munshi Moinul Islam; July fighter Md. Sirajul Islam; Gono Odhikar Parishad member Sheikh Rashidul Islam; student representative Saif Nawaz, and “July daughter” Shamsun Nahar Nishi.
Relatives of the wounded and deceased from the July uprising were also present, many of whom shared emotional testimonies reflecting the enduring impact of the movement on families across the country.