Dhaka: The 16th of July last year witnessed intense clashes across Bangladesh as the banned student wing of the Awami League, Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), along with police forces, faced off against anti-discrimination student movement protesters. This nationwide unrest resulted in the death of at least six individuals, including Abu Sayeed, prompting the government to deploy Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in six districts to control the movement.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the government responded to the escalating situation by declaring the closure of all educational institutions, including universities, colleges, and secondary schools, and suspending the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations scheduled for July 18. University students were instructed to vacate their dormitories. The protests on July 16 were a continuation of demonstrations against the BCL’s attacks on students from Dhaka University and Jahangirnagar University. On this day, BCL activists once again attacked protesters nationwide, while police forces opened fire at Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur (BRUR), resulting in the death of student protest coordinator Abu Sayeed.
The event escalated further as private university and college students joined the protests. The demonstrations turned violent after police used tear gas and batons on the protesters at BRUR. Abu Sayeed, a student of the English department at BRUR, became a symbol of resistance as he stood defiantly before being fatally shot by police officers, a moment captured on video that fueled public outrage and transformed the quota reform movement into a mass uprising against the government.
The violence claimed five more lives, including two students killed in clashes in Dhaka and Chattogram, leaving several hundred injured. In Dhaka, the protesters blocked key intersections and rail lines, severely disrupting traffic and communications. The capital witnessed fierce clashes, particularly in the Dhaka College and Science Lab areas, where quota protesters resisted BCL attacks.
The unrest spread to other areas, with violence reported in various parts of Dhaka and clashes breaking out between students and BCL activists in Bhatara. In Chattogram, three individuals, including two students, lost their lives in similar confrontations.
Amid the turmoil, anti-discrimination movement coordinator Hasnat Abdullah condemned the violence as state-sponsored attacks. Another coordinator, Asif Mahmud, announced further demonstrations, including a symbolic funeral procession, to honor the victims. Following the six deaths, the government intensified security by deploying BGB forces in multiple districts and extended the closure of educational institutions indefinitely.
Political tensions rose as the government sought judicial intervention, filing a petition with the Supreme Court to challenge the High Court’s judgment on the quota system. Meanwhile, opposition parties, including the BNP, and their student wing, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), expressed solidarity with the protesters.
In response, several BCL leaders resigned, condemning the attacks on students. Rights organizations and prominent citizens issued statements denouncing the violence. Former student leaders from the 1990 Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) also voiced their support for the agitating students, reflecting the widespread discontent and calls for justice across the nation.