Prime Minister Tarique Rahman addressed the 'July National Conference 2026' at the China Friendship Conference Center in Dhaka, marking the anniversary of the July uprising that ended Sheikh Hasina’s 16-year rule. He pledged that all killings during the uprising would be brought to justice in accordance with the law, emphasizing that the process might take time but would ensure punishment for true perpetrators. Rahman urged unity over revenge, drawing inspiration from the long anti-autocracy struggle and the sacrifices of July.

He recalled his late mother, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, saying her principles of forgiveness and national unity guide his leadership. Rahman stated that his government considers the rehabilitation and medical care of those injured in the uprising a sacred duty. During the event, he presented commemorative tokens to families of the martyrs and wounded participants.

International media reports cited in the article described Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule as authoritarian, marked by suppression of dissent and alleged state-led violence. The reports also noted that Hasina fled to India following mass protests, and her party’s political future remains uncertain.