Bangladesh is prepared to unveil the July Revolution Museum at Ganabhaban, the former residence of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Following the popular uprising on August 5, 2024, which saw Hasina flee to Delhi after violence claimed over 1,000 lives, the fortress has been transformed into a 110-crore taka memorial. Curated by Tanzim Wahab, the site displays victims' personal effects and a life-size replica of the "Aynaghor" secret detention facility. In a striking political shift, the museum features a bust of British MP Tulip Siddiq, who was sentenced to prison in absentia by a local court over corruption claims.
As the nation approaches its first free elections in 17 years on February 12, the political vacuum left by the banned Awami League is being filled by resurgent religious forces. Reports indicate that Jamaat-e-Islami, a conservative Islamist party previously suppressed under Hasina’s tenure, is projected to win a record number of seats. This rise in Islamist influence coincides with the return of Tarique Rahman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who is favoured by 48% of the 127 million voters. While the museum aims to institutionalise the memory of the "July Revolution," critics fear the country’s shift toward conservative religious politics may challenge the secular democratic aspirations of the original student protesters. Despite the International Crimes Tribunal sentencing Hasina to death in absentia, her shadow looms over an election defined by a delicate balance between democratic restoration and growing Islamic traditionalism.