Prime Minister’s Adviser on Information and Broadcasting Zahed Ur Rahman on Tuesday said that the July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum will be inaugurated before August 5.

The museum would be opened once a few final tasks, including staff recruitment and several administrative procedures, are completed, he said at a press briefing on the progress of various government activities at the Press Information Department (PID) conference room at Secretariat.

Responding to a question, he said discussions were still ongoing.

“This government is the government of July [Uprising]. Therefore, derogatory remarks about the July Uprising and the July Warriors are in no way acceptable,” he said.

The disclosure comes in the backdrop of National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam demanding the museum be made open by August 5 this year.

“Otherwise the people themselves will open it, and they will take measures to visit the museum,” Nahid had said after paying tribute to those killed in the July Uprising at the mass grave in Rayerbazar in the capital.

‘Tribunal to decide AL’s future as a political party’

Zahed also commented on the Awami League, saying that the former ruling party would face trial before the tribunal over charges of mass killings and crimes against humanity, with the court ultimately deciding whether the party would be allowed to continue operating politically in Bangladesh.

He said the party’s activities had been banned through an executive order, but the party itself had not been outlawed.

“The Awami League has not been banned. Its activities have been prohibited. Please wait a little longer. The Home Minister has informed us, and the ICT has said the investigation is ongoing. We should wait until then,” he said.

He added the tribunal would determine, following the trial, whether the party should be banned.

“Once again, I would like to say this falls within the jurisdiction of the court. The judge will hear all parties before making a decision. Then it will be decided whether they will be able to carry out their activities,” he said.

On food stocks, Zahed said the government currently had 900,000 tonnes of food in reserve, exceeding its target.

Regarding local government elections, he also said a roadmap had been prepared, adding the election schedule would be announced in the second half of August.