Something New Under the Sun : Bangladeshi Student Protest Movement 2024

The anti-quota protests which began in the first weeks of this July, and proceeded to become a national movement by all students of the country after the death of first six student martyrs on July 16, notable among them Abu Sayeed from Rangpur, is something new under the scorching Bangladeshi sun. 

We may not all realise how big this new something is, but I believe it is a harbinger to a paradigm shift insha Allah. Many people have died in Bangladesh before, protesting the Awami League crimes, but the nature of Abu Sayeed's death showcased a new face to these protests. For the first time, people are really really unafraid. And remember, these are not your regular BNP or Jamaat people; they are very ordinary people, who otherwise would not have turned out to protest in the first place. 

Therein lies a lot of significane.

One month on, and a lot of things have changed. What began as a call for quota reform has turned into a movement for justice, anger that began as a demand of livelihood, has manifested in the very being of young men and women who are out to avenge their fallen comrades. As I just said, what the Awami League has failed to understand is that this is not the common opposition - those who come out on the streets for material gain or personal, or group loyalty. These young protesters who are there on the streets, have been there day and night, for more than a month straight. Many have not returned to their homes for weeks. Some will never return because they have been killed by the security apparatus of this government, and their bodies have been put in unmarked graves. No amount of money, or loyalty could have led to this.

There really is something new under the sun!