Number of July martyrs in govt gazette stands at 843

Even after two years, no definitive answer has been found regarding the number of people martyred in the July mass uprising. There are discrepancies in the data provided by the government, officials, and various political parties and organizations.

The movement, launched in early July 2024 under the banner of the “Anti-Discrimination Student Movement” to demand quota reform in government jobs, evolved into a mass uprising in the face of a crackdown by the then-Awami League government. Following 36 days of continuous protests, the Sheikh Hasina government fell on August 5 of that year. Prior to that, on January 31, 2018, two senior journalists—Mohammad Abdul Wadud and Md. Didarul Alam Didar—and Md. Anisur Rahman Mir, a former student of Dhaka University, filed a writ petition with the High Court demanding quota reform.

Subsequently, the interim government recognized the deceased as ‘July Martyrs’ and the injured as ‘July Warriors.’ In January 2025, the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs published an initial list of 834 individuals. Later, in June, the names of 10 additional people were included, bringing the total number of martyrs to 844.

However, in August, eight names were removed from the list. Among them, four had been listed twice, while the other four were not directly involved in the July movement. Consequently, according to the government gazette, the number of martyrs was revised to 836.

The July Mass Uprising Directorate was established to preserve the history of the July-August mass uprising, finalize the comprehensive list of martyrs and the injured, and provide medical treatment to the injured and assistance to their families. According to the directorate’s data, one name was removed from the gazette in January of this year, and three more were excluded in February.

Subsequently, in April, 12 new names were added to the list of martyrs. However, on May 13, one more name was removed. In total, according to the current government gazette, the number of July martyrs stands at 843, while the number of injured individuals is 14,370.

An official from the July Mass Uprising Directorate stated that a gazette listing 856 names had been published previously. However, a few names were subsequently removed following a verification process. No new names will be added to the gazettes from which names were excluded, and as there are no new applications, the official death toll remains at 843.

Who are the ‘July Martyrs’?

According to the official definition, individuals killed during the mass uprising—in attacks by law enforcement agencies under the control of the then-government or by members of the ruling political party at the time—have been recognized as ‘July Martyrs.’

Although the names of the martyrs were published via official notifications, names have been added to and removed from the list from time to time. Furthermore, as the relatives of many individuals remain missing, officials concerned state that the list of July Martyrs is not yet complete.

Anu Muhammad, a retired professor from Jahangirnagar University who led the ‘March of Defiance’ during the July uprising, stated that it is the government’s responsibility to finalize the list of martyrs. If the government lacks sufficient data, it should verify information from the United Nations and publish an accurate figure. In his view, resolving this confusion quickly is essential for the sake of compensation, the proper use of public funds, and historical accuracy.

Conflicting figures regarding the number of martyrs

Various government officials, political leaders, and other individuals and organizations have been providing conflicting figures regarding the number of martyrs in the July uprising. Some claim the death toll is 1,500, others say 2,000, while some assert that thousands have been martyred.

Since assuming office as the Chief Adviser of the interim government on August 8, 2024, Professor Muhammad Yunus has also—in various addresses to the nation—cited figures ranging from one thousand and fifteen hundred to several thousand martyrs.

UN Report

Regarding the death toll of the July uprising, the two figures most frequently discussed are 1,400 and over 2,000. Of these, the figure of 1,400 has been cited at various times, referencing the report by the UN fact-finding mission.

Information on the July Martyrs’ Memorial Foundation

The July Martyrs’ Memorial Foundation was officially established on September 12 of last year for those killed or injured in the July mass uprising. It is a government-approved, non-political, voluntary, and public-welfare-oriented non-governmental organization. The foundation’s website homepage lists the latest figure for martyrs as over 820, while the list of martyrs available on the site contains 835 names.