President Criticizes July Documentary for Omitting Martyred Abu Sayeed

President Major (Retd.) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed has said that any documentary on the July mass uprising that does not include an image of the martyred Abu Sayeed cannot be regarded as a true documentary. He also said that a photograph of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia should have been included.

He made the remarks on Wednesday (August 5) while addressing a state ceremony marking July Martyrs’ Day at the China Friendship Conference Center in the capital.

The President said the documentary contained several mistakes. “The first mistake I noticed was the absence of Abu Sayeed’s photograph. Abu Sayeed is the embodiment and symbol of the revolution. Without his image, this cannot be called a documentary. Khaleda Zia’s photograph is also missing. The State Minister for Liberation War Affairs has apologized over the matter. After that, we should have remained calm. Holding on to the issue and staging a walkout like in Parliament was not appropriate,” he said.

He further said, “This is your elected government. If we make mistakes, you should help us correct them. We cannot become the Awami League. The Awami League has no sense of shame.”

Earlier, members of the families of the July martyrs and July fighters protested, alleging that the documentary shown at the event failed to properly portray key events of the July mass uprising, the sacrifices of the martyrs, and different phases of the movement. The protest created a tense atmosphere inside the auditorium in the presence of the President.

As soon as the screening ended, protests erupted from different parts of the auditorium. Family members of the martyrs and July fighters stood up and voiced their objections loudly. They alleged that the documentary failed to accurately present the true history of the July mass uprising, its major developments, and the sacrifices of the martyrs. At one point, the entire auditorium descended into an uproar.