Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) has already provided 2 lakh taka for the concert. The letters sent to various organizations included a recommendation from RU Vice-Chancellor Professor Saleh Hasan Naqib. The event is being co-organized by KSK Hridoy, director of the university’s cultural group "Campus Bauliana."
According to the viral letter, "July 36 is a memorable day in Rajshahi’s proud history, remembered as the ‘July Movement,’ where many young people were martyred and injured. To commemorate the first anniversary of this historic event, we are organizing ‘July 36: Festival of Liberation.’ The event will be attended by families of the martyrs, injured individuals, dignitaries, and respected coordinators. The main objective is to pay tribute to the martyrs and share their stories of sacrifice with the younger generation."
When contacted, RCC’s acting administrator Khondkar Azim Ahmed did not respond to multiple calls over two days. RCC Secretary Rumana Afroz declined to comment on the donation. However, Shafiqul Islam Khan, RCC’s budget and accounts officer who signed the approval for the donation, stated, “These matters are handled by the administrator. I don’t deal with them, so I can’t comment.”
Ammar, addressing the controversy on Facebook, confirmed sending proposals to around 70 top organizations, including PRAN-RFL Group, Robi Axiata Limited, Walton, Jamuna Bank, and Sultan’s Dine, with the Vice-Chancellor’s recommendation. He said, “The media is conducting a coordinated trial against us, creating a mess. We followed proper procedures, with the Vice-Chancellor’s seal and signature on each proposal. We told RCC to contribute whatever they could. Our banner represents students from the 1968 to 1972 batches. RCC has funded various organizations before. Some groups are trying to sabotage this event.”
KSK Hridoy, another organizer, defended the fundraising, stating, “Requesting sponsorship from companies for events is not new; it’s been done for ages. If seeking sponsorship is extortion, then this ‘extortion’ has been happening forever. RCC doesn’t just sponsor us; it supports all good initiatives, like a recent book fair or a conference by the university’s statistics department. We provided a detailed breakdown of expenses in our proposal.”
When asked about his endorsement, Vice-Chancellor Professor Saleh Hasan Naqib clarified, “I made it clear that the university cannot provide financial support for this event. It’s entirely their initiative. They asked for a recommendation for funding, and I’ve provided similar recommendations for other campus cultural organizations in the past. This was no different.”
The controversy has sparked reactions from other student leaders. Fahim Reza, another former coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, wrote on Facebook, “I don’t know who is organizing this event. We sought support for a film about July from the Rajshahi Divisional Commissioner, but he didn’t help. How is he supporting a concert now?”
Nafiul Islam, office secretary of the RU Chhatra Dal branch, posted, “Many injured from the July uprising still lack treatment. Celebrating with public funds before ensuring their care is necessary is hypocritical. All anti-fascist student organizations played key roles in the movement. Celebrating July with public money for individual credit is a betrayal of the July warriors.”
