State Minister for Social Welfare Barrister Farzana Sharmin said anti-fascist forces are attempting to make the July mass uprising controversial. She made the remarks on Thursday in Dhaka while speaking as chief guest at the opening of the Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University Debating Society’s Inter-Hall Debate Competition 2026.

Sharmin said the uprising was the outcome of a collective effort by pro-democracy political parties, students and the public, and that no individual could claim sole credit. She said competition over credit was harming the uprising’s momentum. She also said fascism had been removed but its roots had not been fully uprooted, and called for respect for the government elected by public vote.

Debate for Democracy chairman Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiron said democracy’s strength lies in accepting others’ views to reach correct decisions. He described the July uprising as an expression of accumulated grievances and a symbol of unity, warning that divisions could allow hostile forces to re-emerge. University vice chancellor Professor Dr. Md. Abdul Latif and other officials also addressed the event.