BNP Secretary General and Local Government, Rural Development (LGRD) and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday said there has been no visible progress over the past five months in implementing the aspirations of the July Uprising, although Prime Minister Tarique Rahman remained committed to transforming both the state and society.

Speaking as the chief guest at a publication unveiling ceremony, photography exhibition and discussion marking July Martyrs' Day 2026 at the DFP Auditorium in Dhaka, Fakhrul said meaningful change would require not only institutional reforms but also a transformation in public behaviour and political culture.

Fakhrul said Tarique has inspired young people with a vision for change but cautions that national progress would remain elusive unless people also changed their attitudes.

He said the prime minister urged citizens to dispose of waste in designated bins to help build cleaner cities and instructed city corporations to strengthen cleanliness and waste management initiatives as part of broader efforts to foster social transformation.

"Many who once engaged in bribery, corruption and abuse of power are now attempting to change their position after the July changes for personal gain. This is unfortunate," he said.

According to Fakhrul, the prime minister is working to change that political culture and establish a more accountable system of governance.

Reflecting on Bangladesh's political history, he said generations of people had sacrificed their lives since 1947 in pursuit of a just and equitable society, but the goal of building an inequality-free nation remained unrealised.

He said people had continued to lay down their lives from the Language Movement in 1952 to the July Uprising of 2024 in pursuit of social and political change.

"Pakistan was divided, and Bangladesh was led by leaders such as Maulana Bhashani and AK Fazlul Huq, but society did not change. After 1971, another fascist ruler was removed in 2024 at the cost of countless lives," he said.

Fakhrul also urged the nation to move away from consumerism and uphold the spirit of the July movement.