Unidentified miscreants have set fire to the July Memorial in Shariatpur, a monument dedicated to those martyred during the July movement.
The incident has drawn strong condemnation from leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement (ADSM), who have called for swift legal action against those responsible.
According to local sources and police, the memorial was established by the then interim government to honor 14 martyrs from Shariatpur. Located beside the town’s Shaheed Minar, the structure was built with reinforced concrete and an iron framework, and the names of the martyrs were engraved on it.
The incident came to light after a video of the arson spread on social media, particularly Facebook, on Friday evening.
The footage, reportedly shared from the personal account of a local leader associated with the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), shows several young men setting fire to the memorial before fleeing the scene.
Leaders of the ADSM expressed anger over the attack and alleged that supporters of the banned Awami League could be involved. They warned that such incidents may continue unless the July Charter is fully implemented.
Imran Al Nazir, the district convener of the movement, said that the Awami League had been removed from power through a mass uprising and suggested that lingering resentment might be behind such acts. He urged authorities to quickly identify and prosecute those involved.
Palong Police Station officer-in-charge Shah Alam said that police have received information about the incident.
The arson may not have occurred on the same day the video was circulated and confirmed that an investigation is underway in this connection, he added.
Bidhan Mojumder Oni/MHK