July Uprising Memorial Museum to Open August 5 Amid Lingering Procurement and Recruitment Concerns

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The July Uprising Memorial Museum, established in the former residence of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, is set for a formal inauguration on August 5. Prime Minister Tareq Rahman is scheduled to preside over the opening ceremony, marking the transformation of the 17.68-acre Ganabhaban complex in Dhaka into a national monument dedicated to the 2024 mass movement that ended the Awami League’s tenure.

The project follows a turbulent history for the site. On August 5, 2024, protesters surged into the facility following the departure of the former prime minister, leading to widespread destruction and looting. The building, which had served as the executive residence and office since its construction in the 1970s, was left in a state of ruin. On September 5, 2024, the interim government formally decided to convert the site into a museum, a move later ratified by the advisory council in December.

According to Tanzeem Wahab, the museum’s Director General, the project was executed with a total allocation of 123.45 million Baka, of which approximately 110.92 million was utilized. The Public Works Department managed structural repairs and electrical infrastructure, while the National Museum oversaw the procurement of artifacts, gallery curation, and the construction of installations—including a symbolic “Aynaghar” featuring 22 cells to document human rights abuses.

Despite the impending launch, the museum has faced significant criticism regarding its procurement process and administrative transparency. To meet the aggressive August 5 deadline, authorities utilized the “Direct Procurement Method,” bypassing standard open-tendering procedures. Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) executive director Iftekharuzzaman publicly questioned the legality and transparency of this approach, noting that direct procurement is intended for emergency disaster scenarios rather than museum construction. Further controversy emerged over hiring irregularities, specifically an attempt to fill 96 positions through oral interviews alone, which was eventually scrapped following public outcry.

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The museum’s board of trustees, reconstituted by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs in July, is chaired by Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury. While permanent staff recruitment remains ongoing, the facility will initially operate with 18 personnel seconded from the National Museum, supplemented by outsourced labor.

The museum aims to serve as a comprehensive historical record of the 2024 uprising. Exhibits include the personal belongings of martyrs, declassified documents recovered from the Ganabhaban, and artistic representations of the movement. Mir Mahbubur Rahman Snigdho, a member of the museum’s board and brother of martyr Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdho, emphasized the necessity of the project, stating that the facility must preserve the legacy of every individual who sacrificed their life during the uprising to ensure their history remains etched in the nation’s consciousness.