Prime Minister Tarique Rahman inaugurated the July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, on Wednesday morning.
Culture Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury said the museum was built to pass the spirit and history of the July uprising to the new generation and to help prevent the return of autocratic rule.
Chowdhury said the site, once a center of power, is now preserved as a memorial to the student-public uprising and holds the history of the 2024 uprising and of the preceding 17 years of killings, enforced disappearances, torture and resistance.
The memorial grounds include a mural at the entrance, symbolic graves, white stone plaques with the names of those killed in the uprising, fountains, portraits of fighters and a sculpture of raised hands.
Exhibits also trace earlier political history, including Begum Khaleda Zia's entry into politics in 1982, the 1986 election, the return of parliamentary democracy in 1991, the 2006 logi-boitha incident and post-1/11 events.
Museum authorities said entry fees would be 50 taka for adults, 20 taka for children, 500 taka for SAARC nationals and 2,000 taka for other foreign visitors.
The culture minister said the museum would open to the general public from Thursday, while museum authorities said it would be open daily from morning to 6pm except on Thursdays and public holidays.
Chowdhury said the opening ceremony included speeches by July fighters and families of those killed in the uprising, as well as the screening of a documentary.