The Center for Society & Culture (CSC) commemorated the second anniversary of the July Uprising with a day of remembrance, dialogue, and cultural celebration honoring the martyrs and survivors. The event marked the organization’s first public program.
Titled “36 July: United in Resilience, Ignited for the Future,” the event was held on August 8 at the Freedom High School Auditorium in Virginia, drawing members of the Bangladeshi-American community from across the Washington metropolitan area.
The gathering was organized in collaboration with July House, the Bangladeshi American Network for Democracy (BAND), SAVE, and Socchar.
Filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki joined the event virtually from Bangladesh as chief guest and urged the community to build inclusive, pro-Bangladesh cultural institutions capable of carrying forward the spirit of the uprising.
“July is the biggest event in Bangladesh since the Liberation War,” Farooki said.
He described the July Uprising as the outcome of “collisions along cultural fault lines” that had developed in Bangladesh over the years through competing cultural narratives.
“When we talk about rebuilding the country after July, economic, political, and administrative reconstruction are all important, but the most important of all, to me, is cultural reconstruction,” Farooki said. He warned that decades of a “high culture, low culture” divide had conditioned society to mourn some deaths while ignoring others.
Mim Akter, sister of martyr Rabbi, delivered a moving account of carrying her brother’s body during the protests and reiterated the urgent demand for justice for atrocities committed under the Hasina regime.
Shafiqul Alam, editor of Daily Waadaa, discussed the life-threatening risks journalists faced during the uprising, as major media outlets attempted to suppress or limit coverage.
Faiz Ahmed Taiyeb, a former assistant to the Chief Adviser of the interim government, emphasized the importance of systematically mapping the expertise of Bangladeshis living abroad and creating pathways for diaspora knowledge and experience to contribute to national policymaking.
Former US diplomat Jon Danilowicz presented an award bearing the names of the July martyrs to Mushfiq Fazal Ansary, Bangladesh’s former ambassador to Mexico, in recognition of his leadership in organizing diaspora protests in the Washington, DC, area. Ansary’s wife, Tamanna Tahsin, accepted the award on his behalf.
Kazi Wali Ullah, chairman of July Records, joined virtually to share insights into documenting and preserving the oral histories of the movement.
Later, a panel discussion titled “From Grief to Strategy: Healing, Activism, and Policy Engagement” was hosted by Ahmed Sabit of Studio 36. The panel featured Muneeba Fakhrul of The Bengal Council, Al Jazeera columnist Shafquat Rabbee, Dr Nusrat Rahman of Socchar, and Golam Mortuza, press minister at the Embassy of Bangladesh in Washington, D.C.
The discussion was followed by a concert, where rock icon Jon Kabir led the audience in an energetic sing-along after an opening set by Computational Fluid Rock (CFR), an Ohio-based band featuring CSC member Sheikh Ahmed Sakib on keyboards and vocals.
Throughout the day, CSC members and local community artists performed songs closely associated with the uprising and Bangladesh’s cultural memory, including “Muktir Mondir,” “36 July,” James’s “Bangladesh,” and Kaaktal’s “Oi Ma Tor Pola More Nai.” The program also featured short theatrical performances honoring the sacrifices of the martyrs and protesters.
The event included the US premiere of “Eyes That Speak,” a documentary by human rights advocate and filmmaker Mushfikur Rahman Johan focusing on protesters who lost their eyesight during the uprising.
Alongside the main program, CSC displayed a special collection of July-related books brought from Bangladesh and made them available to attendees.
With permission from artist Debashish Chakraborty, selected posters from his July artwork were reproduced and offered for sale, bringing the visual memory of the uprising into the heart of the gathering.