Photo : BSS

KHULNA, Aug 2, 2025 (BSS) - Administrator of Khulna City Corporation (KCC) and Divisional Commissioner Md Firoz Sarkar today said that only a parent can truly comprehend the pain of losing a child, stressing the need for national recognition of the sacrifices made during the July uprising.

"We can never bring back those who sacrificed their lives. But to honour their memory, formal recognition in the form of a 'July Charter' is essential," he said while addressing a special gathering titled "Mothers of July" at Shaheed Altaf Auditorium of KCC this afternoon.

The programme, held as part of the ongoing July Reawakening observance, was organised by the Department of Women Affairs, Khulna, with support from the Khulna District Administration and Khulna City Corporation.

The event began with a solemn tribute to the mothers of all martyrs of the July Movement. A documentary on the uprising was screened, capturing moments of resistance, loss and hope, which moved many in the audience, especially bereaved families and student representatives, to tears.

In his address, the KCC Administrator said the July uprising marked the end of a prolonged national crisis and gifted the country a renewed democratic spirit though at a painful cost. "It is the parents who bear the deepest scars of this victory," he added.

Among others who spoke were Nurun Nahar Begum, mother of martyred student Sheikh Md. Sakib Rayhan; Additional Police Superintendent (D-Circle) Abu Siddiq Shubhra; BNP city unit president Advocate Shafiqul Alam Mona; Khulna Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary Munshi Moinul Islam; July fighter Md. Sirajul Islam; Gono Odhikar Parishad member Sheikh Rashidul Islam; student representative Saif Nawaz and "July daughter" Shamsun Nahar Nishi.

Relatives of the wounded and deceased from the July uprising were also present, many of whom shared emotional testimonies reflecting the enduring impact of the movement on families across the country.