Nahid accuses govt of altering July museum
National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener and Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam on Saturday alleged that exhibits documenting what he described as “Indian aggression” had been removed from the July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum, accusing the BNP-led government of altering the museum’s original narrative.
He made the allegation after visiting the museum, housed at the former Gono Bhaban, the official residence of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, with a delegation of more than 50 NCP leaders.
Nahid, a key coordinator of the Students Against Discrimination movement that spearheaded the July Mass Uprising, said a section of the museum had previously documented killings along the Bangladesh-India border.
“There was a list of our brothers and sisters killed by the Indian BSF at the borders, along with a sculpture of Felani.
Those have been removed. Some memories and photos of the anti-Modi movement have also been taken down,” he said.
Responding to journalists’ questions, Nahid suggested that the BNP might be reluctant to antagonise India.
“If they weren’t afraid, why would something that is a part of history be excluded?” he said.
The allegations could not immediately be independently verified.
Claims museum narrative has changed
Nahid said the current government had altered the museum’s original plans, despite his having advocated for its opening both inside and outside parliament.
He said he had previously inspected the site during the tenure of the interim government, when Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, current opposition leader and Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman, and former interim chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus were also present.
According to Nahid, the museum’s present displays place disproportionate emphasis on the oppression faced by the BNP, giving greater prominence to what he described as partisan narratives and statements.
After touring the museum, Nahid held a roughly 30-minute meeting with museum authorities from 10:30am before speaking to journalists.
Calls for national character
Nahid called for greater autonomy for the museum, arguing that the history of the Liberation War had repeatedly been politicised by successive governments.
“Every time a new party came to power, textbooks and history were changed. We want the history, narrative, and the museum related to the July Uprising to retain a national character.
The absolute truth must be presented there,” he said.
He called for the sections documenting the July Uprising to be expanded and presented chronologically.
“In particular, the roles of private university and madrasa students should be highlighted separately, which is missing [in the museum],” he said.
Nahid also said the museum should document accounts of torture, brutality and resistance from universities outside Dhaka and from different districts, arguing that these experiences had not received adequate attention.
“There are identical stories of torture, brutality, and resistance from various universities outside Dhaka and in different districts.
Those aspects have not been included. Only familiar faces have been repeatedly highlighted,” he said.
He further argued that the museum should be managed by people who participated in the mass uprising and represented its spirit.
Nahid was accompanied during the visit by NCP lawmakers Akhter Hossen, Abdullah Al Amin and Nusrat Tabassum; central leaders Sarjis Alam, Sarwar Tushar, SM Saif Mostafiz and Mahin Sarker; Jatiya Jubo Shakti Convener Tariqul Islam; and Jatiya Chhatra Shakti President Jahid Ahsan and General Secretary Abu Baker Majumder, among others.
