Shipping and Labour and Employment Adviser Brigadier General (retd) Dr M Sakhawat Hussain. Photo: BSS

By Mostak Ahmed 

DHAKA, Jan 06, 2026 (BSS) - Shipping and Labour and Employment Adviser Brig Gen (retd) Dr M Sakhawat Hossain urged the nation and future leadership to uphold the legacy of those who sacrificed their lives during the July uprising of 2024.   

“Regardless of which government takes office in the future, they must remain respectful of the July heroes and ensure their sacrifices are never forgotten,” he said in an exclusive interview with BSS. 

 Sakhawat Hossain said that nearly 1,400 people were killed in the July uprising as the Awami League government launched ruthless crackdown on protesters.   

He remarked that despite the staggering loss of life, ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina wanted to stay power to suppress the student-led mass uprising.  

"The brave July heroes gave their fresh blood to combat fascism" he stated, asserting that the nation would remember their contribution for as long as Bangladesh exists.

The Adviser shared his involvement during the peak of the movement. 

On August 4, 2024, he said, amid a strict curfew and military deployment, he and other retired army officers organized a press conference. 

He recounted how he directly appealed to active-duty soldiers to refuse illegal orders to fire on their own brothers and friends. 

"I told the army directly that please don't give such kind of orders. The army is for the country, not for any individual," he said. 

He believed that this shift in the military’s attitude was pivotal, leading to the collapse of government support from the army, police, and BGB by August 5, which eventually forced Sheikh Hasina to flee the country.

In his current capacity as an adviser for the Ministry of Shipping and the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Sakhawat Hossain has prioritized providing employment for those involved in the July movement. 

He announced that a launch ghat in Jhalakathi and a speedboat in Bhola have been named ‘Shahid Osman Hadi Launch Ghat’ and ‘Shahid Osman Hadi Speedboat,’ respectively, in honour of the martyr.

Furthermore, Sakhawat expressed deep gratitude for being able to provide employment opportunities for several July heroes at the Chattogram Port and other locations under his ministries. 

Since joining the interim government led by Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus on August 8, he has prioritized visiting hospitals, including the CMH and Dhaka Medical College, to support those injured in the front lines of the July Uprising. 

Drawing on his long history as a security analyst and critic, Sakhawat said that the previous regime’s downfall was inevitable due to the big theft hidden behind massive megaprojects. 

He noted that his vocal criticism in talk shows and articles over the past 15 years led to his exclusion from military and state functions, but he maintained his neutrality from any political party.

The adviser laid emphasis on collective efforts to rebuild the country when its entire structures collapsed after downfall of the fascist government.