Cox’s Bazar BNP leader faces backlash after challenging martyr status of July uprising victim
Photo Collected
A political controversy has erupted in Cox’s Bazar’s Chakaria upazila after a local Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader publicly demanded the removal of a student protest casualty from the government’s official list of “July martyrs.”
Enamul হক, president of the Chakaria upazila BNP, sparked the dispute during a discussion commemorating the anniversary of the July uprising. He alleged that Ahsan Habib, who died during the unrest, should not be recognized as a participant in the movement against the former Awami League government. Enamul cited the family’s acceptance of financial assistance from the deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina—which included a public meeting at Ganabhaban—as evidence that undermined Habib’s status as a genuine revolutionary.
The comments drew immediate backlash from Abdullah Al Faruque, a Jamaat-e-Islami parliamentary candidate for the Chakaria-Pekua constituency. Contradicting the BNP leader’s claims, Faruque asserted that Habib was a committed activist who was killed by police gunfire on July 18, 2024, while participating in protests in Cox’s Bazar.
Faruque defended Habib’s legacy by drawing parallels to national protest figures like Sarjis Alam, noting that past political or social affiliations do not invalidate a martyr’s contribution to the downfall of a fascist regime. To support his defense, Faruque shared social media evidence of Habib’s active involvement in the protests, labeling the criticism of the deceased youth as insensitive and deeply harmful to the memory of the movement.
The controversy highlights ongoing debates regarding the verification process for those recognized as casualties of the July uprising. While the previous administration attempted to manage the optics of the deaths by providing financial compensation to grieving families, the current political climate in regions like Chakaria has seen competing narratives emerge over who truly deserves the status of “July warrior.” Following his death, Habib’s grave was visited in 2025 by Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Shafiqur Rahman, underscoring the high-profile nature of the victim’s contested legacy.
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