July Museum to open on 5 August despite pending staff recruitment

Ganabhaban, which served as the official residence of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina who was ousted during the July mass uprising, for nearly a decade and a half, has now been transformed into the July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to inaugurate the museum on 5 August. Final preparations are underway, although staff recruitment has yet to be completed.

During a visit to inspect the museum on 12 May, Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury said it would open by the end of July or by 5 August.

Tanzim Wahab, director general of the National Museum and also director general of the July Memorial Museum, told Prothom Alo on Sunday that the museum would be formally inaugurated on 5 August despite the absence of permanent staff. Preparations are underway for visitor security, ticketing and other operational arrangements.

On 5 August 2024, after Sheikh Hasina fled to India amid a mass uprising, crowds entered Ganabhaban. Thousands of people vented their anger, leaving the former prime minister’s residence heavily damaged through vandalism and looting. Even electrical switchboards were ripped out, and the large Ganabhaban nameplate was removed.

Located in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Ganabhaban occupies 17.68 acres. The Bangladesh Army took charge of the premises on 6 August, 2024. A month later, on 5 September, the then interim government decided to convert it into a museum, and the advisory council approved the proposal in principle on 24 December.

Initially, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs issued a notification placing the museum under the National Museum as one of its branches. Later, the government abandoned that plan.

The Ministry of Housing and Public Works subsequently handed over the land and the infrastructure of the Ganabhaban complex to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, and the two ministries jointly implemented the project.

According to Tanjim Wahab, the Public Works Department and the National Museum received a total allocation of Tk 1.23 billion for the project, of which Tk 1.10 billion was spent. The remaining Tk 125.3 million was returned to the state treasury. The museum has been allocated Tk 175 million for operations in the 2026–27 fiscal year.

The Public Works Department handled repairs to the damaged main building as well as electrical and infrastructure work, while the National Museum was responsible for sculptures, collecting artefacts, purchasing artworks, designing galleries, producing documentaries, interior decoration, and procuring office furniture and equipment.

Questions have been raised over the project’s implementation. One contractor reportedly received a work order, while another carried out work without a formal contract. Media reports alleged inflated spending on sculptures, documentaries, hospitality and other sectors, the use of a false contractor address, and other irregularities. The museum authorities have repeatedly issued written rebuttals.

Responding to the allegations, Tanjim Wahab said all work was carried out following government rules and proper verification procedures. However, he acknowledged that some processes became questionable because of the need to complete the project quickly.

He added that although the expenditure was substantial, it was part of a major government-funded project and that the Public Works Department has yet to officially hand over the museum. An audit has also not yet been completed.

The interim government issued the museum ordinance on 13 November last year. On 10 April this year, parliament passed the July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum Act, 2026, with amendments.

One of the three amendments proposed by ruling party MP Anisur Rahman of Madaripur-3 replaced an externally appointed expert with the minister or state minister for cultural affairs as chairperson of the museum board.

On 9 July, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs reconstituted the 15-member board under the new law. Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury now serves as chairperson, while the museum’s director general acts as member secretary.

Tanjim Wahab said 18 officials from the National Museum are currently working at the museum on additional duty because permanent staff have not yet been recruited. Personnel will initially be hired through outsourcing, allowing the museum to open on schedule. He expressed hope that the newly formed board would quickly resolve staffing and other administrative issues.

The recruitment process itself has also drawn criticism. Under the July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum (Officers and Employees) Service Rules, 2025, written examinations are mandatory for recruitment.

However, the museum authorities initially sought to recruit 96 people for 62 posts in grades 6 to 20 solely through oral examinations. Applicants were given only seven days to apply.

A recruitment notice issued on 28 January stated that the president had relaxed the written examination requirement in the interest of launching the museum quickly, allowing appointments through oral exams and skills assessments. The oral examinations were later cancelled following public criticism.

On 15 July last year, the interim government’s Advisory Committee on Economic Affairs approved direct procurement for two museum construction and renovation projects to ensure completion before the planned 5 August opening. Officials argued that open tenders would not allow enough time to finish the work.

Citing urgent state necessity, the government approved direct procurement under Section 68 of the Public Procurement Act, 2006, and Rule 76(2) of the Public Procurement Rules, 2008.

Following the decision, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman expressed concern, saying the process seriously undermined standards of transparency and accountability in the use of public funds. He argued that bypassing standard procurement procedures through direct procurement increased the risk of irregularities and favoritism.

The law allows direct procurement only in emergencies, disasters, or for specialised goods and services, provided it does not undermine transparency or competition. Iftekharuzzaman said the museum project did not qualify as a specialised procurement.

Tanjim Wahab said the government had authorised all procedures to ensure the museum could open quickly. While he stopped short of calling the process illegal, he acknowledged that it was “not the ideal approach.”

After Bangladesh’s independence, President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman initially worked from the Presidential House on Minto Road, then known as Ganabhaban. In 1973, the government decided to construct the current Ganabhaban in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar as the prime minister’s residence and office. Although Sheikh Mujibur Rahman never lived there, he used it for official purposes while serving as prime minister and president.

The 29,000-square-foot, two-storey residence became home to former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her family. It also hosted official meetings and state events. The expansive grounds included vegetable gardens, fruit orchards, rice fields, fish ponds, livestock, poultry, pigeons, and a tennis court.

The reporter was allowed to visit Ganabhaban on 2 June last year with permission from then cultural adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki. However, despite a formal application to the current cultural affairs secretary, Prothom Alo was not granted permission to inspect the museum in its present form.

Sources said the museum places particular emphasis on documenting enforced disappearances, torture and other abuses during the Awami League government’s tenure. It will display victims’ memories and belongings, artefacts used by those killed during the July uprising, documents recovered from Ganabhaban, historical memorabilia and artworks.

The museum also features five new walkways, an expanded lake on three sides, a food court, prayer room, washrooms, ticket house, souvenir shop, a “July Stage” at the helipad, and a symbolic “House of Mirrors” consisting of 22 cells.

Memorials have been created to preserve the names and memories of nearly 4,000 victims of enforced disappearance and killings, including those linked to the July uprising, the Shapla Square incident and the BDR mutiny. More than 2,500 symbolic graves have already been constructed, with the project continuing.

A total of 62 documentaries across 19 themes have been produced. The Monsoon Theatre Celluloid section will screen films and documentaries on the 16 years of fascism. Footage of Sheikh Hasina’s departure from the country has also been preserved. Chinese advanced technology has been used in constructing the museum.

The former interim government announced the museum’s opening several times. At a press conference held at Ganabhaban on 14 July last year, then cultural adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki said it would open on 5 August.

The interim government chief adviser, other advisers, diplomats from various countries stationed in Dhaka, politicians and other prominent figures have visited the museum on several occasions. Hospitality expenses for visitors to the museum between 15 April last year and 15 February this year exceeded Tk 3.7 million, drawing criticism in both the media and on social media.

Mir Mahbubur Rahman Snigdho, twin brother of July uprising martyr Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdho and a member of the museum board, told Prothom Alo that the museum should open as soon as possible so people can learn about the oppression and injustices of the authoritarian era. He added that it is important for the museum to preserve memorabilia from every July martyr so visitors can know the stories of those who gave their lives for the country.