A discussion program was organized in Chattogram to mark the publication of July Boyan: Interviews of Martyrs’ Families, the Injured, and Eyewitnesses, the debut book from July Records launched at the Amar Ekushee Boimela 2026.
The event took place on Friday afternoon, May 1, at the VIP Lounge of the Chattogram Press Club. The session brought together members of martyrs’ families interviewed by July Records, eyewitnesses, avid readers, and prominent intellectuals.
Shifting the Narrative: From Power to the People
Speakers at the event emphasized the critical importance of documenting and archiving the massacres and the overall landscape of the July uprising. Discussants remarked that the work of July Records would help establish a “people’s narrative” as a counter-discourse to the official versions often promoted by those in power. They expressed hope that such documentation efforts would expand further across the country.
The program was moderated by Tahsina Rahman, Social Welfare and Environmental Secretary of the Chattogram University Central Students’ Union (CUCSU). Distinguished speakers included:
- Mokarram Hossain, Writer and Intellectual
- Jobairul Hasan Arif, Central Joint Chief Organizer of the National Citizen Party (NCP)
- Hasan Maruf Rumi, Member of the Central Political Board of Ganosamhati Andolan
- Emon Syed, Organizer of the July Uprising & Political Activist
- Chowdhury Tasneem Jahan Srabon, Member of Rashtrachinta, Chittagong University
- Meftahul Jannat Shefa, Student of Chittagong Medical College
- Likhan Datta, Filmmaker
- Mansur Nabi, Teacher and Activist
Emotional Tributes from Martyrs’ Families
A somber and emotional atmosphere filled the venue as the families of two martyrs from the July 16 violence in Chattogram shared their memories. Kohinoor Akter and Zakir Hossain, the parents of Faisal Ahmed Shanto, and Seema Akter, the wife of the uprising’s first martyred worker Md. Faruk, spoke about their lost loved ones, leaving the audience moved.
Future Documentation Plans
The event began with a welcome speech by Sulaim Mahmud and concluded with closing remarks by Kazi Wali Ullah.
Addressing the audience, the organizers from July Records noted that while these publications were intended to be released earlier, various constraints, lack of resources, and a long period of government non-cooperation had caused delays.
“We intend to continue publishing interviews of victims and documented evidence in a series. Work is already underway on the content for our next two books,” the organizers stated.
