July Mass Uprising Museum opens to public from today

The July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum opened to visitors on Thursday (August 6), offering a comprehensive account of the 2024 student-led movement through photographs, videos, documents, personal belongings of victims and interactive digital exhibits.

Public demand has been strong from the outset. The museum's 900 tickets allocated for the opening day were sold out by 4:00pm on Wednesday, a day before public access began.

To manage crowds, authorities have introduced a time-slot entry system, allowing a maximum of 900 visitors daily. The main exhibition building is divided into three sessions—11:00am–1:00pm, 1:00pm–3:00pm, and 4:00pm–6:00pm—with up to 300 visitors permitted in each slot. Tickets are available online and at the museum counter, priced at Tk 50 for adults and Tk 25 for children.

Museum Director General Tanzim Ibne Wahab said the visitor cap was introduced to ensure smooth operations during the initial phase, as authorities expect exceptionally high public interest.

The museum was formally inaugurated on Wednesday by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. However, the opening ceremony was overshadowed by unrest after hundreds of people gathered outside the venue despite the first day being reserved for the families of those killed during the uprising.

After waiting for hours in heavy rain, some visitors and participants forced open the locked entrance gates and entered the premises. The situation later calmed after movement organisers urged people to avoid vandalism and respect the memorial site.