Bell 407 helicopter shooting at protesters during the protest. , Chittagong
Early phase (5 June – 9 July) On 5 June, the High Court re-established the job quota that reserves 30% of the civil service posts for the children and grandchildren of freedom fighters in the
Bangladesh Liberation War. Six universities performed peaceful protests against the quota ruling. The protests calmed down because of the Eid-ul Adha celebrations, but they soon restarted after the break. On 7 July, students staged a blockade and demanded the rescinding of the quota.
Bangla Blockade and Chhatra League attacks (10–17 July) 10 July At approximately 11:00 a.m. in the
University of Dhaka, a protest march commenced in front of the library, passed by the
Anti Terrorism Raju Memorial Sculpture, and culminated in the blockage of the
Shahbag intersection. Members of the law and order forces positioned barricades in front of the students. In the afternoon, it is known that the status quo has been given for four weeks in the ruling given by the High Court cancelling the quota system. The Chief Justice asked the students to go back. Dhaka's transport system came to a standstill due to the blockade in various parts of Dhaka. Long-distance buses and trains were stopped due to the agitation. Police attacked protesting students of
Cumilla University.
11 July The blockade in
Shahbag was supposed to start at 3:00 p.m. but due to rain, the students crossed the police barricade on their way to Shahbag and started later at 4:30 p.m. Dhaka College students retreated due to police barricades and Dhaka University students joined the students of
Jagannath University at Shahbag. Apart from Shahbag, other places in Dhaka were unaffected by the movement. At 9:00 p.m., the students ended their agitation and announced a protest march and rally on 12 July to protest the violent police attack on them. While students were protesting at Comilla Victoria College, a group of Chhatra League members launched an attack on the protesters. During the situation, a student who was recording a video was taken to a hall and beaten by the Chhatra League members.
13 July Students protested by blocking the railway tracks in Rajshahi. In Dhaka, DU students held a press conference in the evening, where they complained that attempts were being made to block the students' movement with lawsuits.
14 July , drawing sharp criticism and further escalating the unrest that ultimately culminated in her
resignation. Students marched in Dhaka and held a sit-in protest and blockade, later submitting a memorandum to President
Mohammed Shahabuddin. In response to the controversial statement made by the Prime Minister of Bangladesh during a press conference, where she reportedly referred to students protesting the quota reform movement as the children of
Razakars (traitors in the
Bangladesh Liberation War), students organized a midnight demonstration at the Dhaka University campus area
(See the section). Female students from Rokeya Hall joined the protest by breaking the lock put up by the authorities at the dorm gate. The government instructed operators to shut down the 4G network in the
University of Dhaka area. At around 11:30 p.m., leaders and members of the
Chhatra League attacked protesters at the
University of Chittagong injuring 13 protesters.
15 July The attacks against the protesters began soon after the ruling Awami League general secretary said on Monday that the Chhatra League, the student wing of the ruling party, was ready to give a fitting reply to quota protesters for their 'arrogant behaviour.' In
Jessore at around 12:00 p.m., students from
Jessore University of Science and Technology and
Michael Madhusudan College staged a protest, where a member of the
Chhatra League attacked and injured a protester. In Dhaka, Members of the Chhatra League started their procession to Shahbagh from
Segunbagicha near
Department of Fisheries (Bangladesh) at around 3:45 p.m. Later in the evening, Chhatra League members attacked students inside
Bijoy Ekattor Hall of Dhaka University, where some of the attackers were seen shooting with
pistols and
carrying sticks. In response, the protesters also threw brickbats from the inside of the hall to retaliate. While covering the protest in the University of Dhaka, two journalists from
The Daily Star and
Prothom Alo were assaulted and injured in the attack carried out by the Chhatra League. After several attempts throughout the afternoon, Chhatra League members, some wearing helmets, forcibly entered DMCH around 7:30 p.m. and initiated an attack. Many were observed carrying rods. They targeted students already injured in the quota reform movement and vandalized several ambulances parked at DMCH. Later the same evening, an attack carried out by the Chhatra League Rajshahi branch at
Rajshahi University left six students injured, including the joint convenor of the
Bangladesh Students Union at RU. In
Comilla, The
Comilla University coordinator of the
Students Against Discrimination was assaulted at around 8:00 p.m. when eight Chhatra League members called him to check his phone and beat him. The protesters called for nationwide demonstrations and rallies in all educational institutions of the country at 3:00 p.m. on 16 July.
16 July At around 12:15 a.m., members of the Chhatra League attacked
Jahangirnagar University students using firearms. The students took shelter at the vice-chancellor's residence after breaking its lock. Around 300 Chhatra League members, armed with galvanized pipes and sticks, threw bricks and glass bottles at the students. Shots were reportedly fired, injuring two journalists, including one from
Dhaka Tribune and over 50 student protesters. Police arrived to control the situation, while both groups positioned themselves outside the vice-chancellor's residence. Students claimed the attackers included outsiders, some in their forties. Later on, the sub-inspector of the Ashulia Police Department instead decided to blame the students by stating that the protesters are to blame for causing "this mayhem". A violent incident involving police and students demanding quota reforms took place in front of
Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur between 2:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Police resorted to
lathi charges and firing during the incident.
Abu Sayed, a Begum Rokeya University student and quota reform activist, was shot four times by a police officer. He was taken to
Rangpur Medical College where the doctors pronounced him
dead on arrival. At around 3:30 p.m., it was reported that in the
Farmgate–Khamarbari area, Chhatra League assailants attacked protestors with sticks while students from
Government Science College, Dhaka were protesting against the attack of Chatra League in University of Dhaka. When the protestors took shelter in the
Farmgate metro station, the assailants entered and started to beat the students, which was witnessed by the passengers. Police were allegedly deployed to control the situation. However, DMTCL, the authority responsible for the operation for the
Dhaka Metro Rail, denied these claims and stated that guards of the station drove the "miscreants" away as they entered with bamboo sticks. They also stated that there was no damage to the station. However, they announced plans to close some of the gates of the station complex for some time to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. As students at public universities were forcefully vacated, students from various schools, colleges, and private universities joined the cause. They protested and blocked roads against the violence of the Chhatra League in the quota reform movement. Students of
North South University,
Independent University Bangladesh,
American International University - Bangladesh,
United International University,
Dhaka International University and
BRAC University protested at and around their respective premises areas at
Bashundhara Residential Area and
Merul Badda with the blockade set up by the students extending up to
Baridhara, the
Pragati Sarani streets in front of the
Jamuna Future Park mall, the largest mall in the country, Notun Bazar,
Badda, and
Kuril, causing gridlock to its neighboring areas as well, including
Rampura,
Banasree, Badda Link Road and Abul Hotel area in
Malibagh. During this time, Asif Mahtab Utsha, former lecturer of
Brac University, notable for
the textbook tearing controversy, joined with his students in front of Jamuna Future Park, being the first teacher in Bangladesh to do so. He gave a speech in the open and in front of national media where he rebuked his colleagues for not joining the students and being their shield, while also challenging the
Chaatra League criminals who attacked Dhaka University students to come to Bashundhara Gate. In his speech he attempted to boost morale of the students by saying, "I did not teach my students to fall back. No retreat, only forward". Students of
The International University of Scholars,
Primeasia University and
Fareast International University blocked the
Banani area and
New Airport road. Students of
Notre Dame College protested in the country's main financial hub and the largest central business district of
Motijheel at
Shapla Square. Students of
Daffodil International University also attempted to start a demonstration on the road but instead protested on campus. Students of other universities and colleges also joined the protests. Protests also took place in
Dhanmondi, specifically in front of the Science Laboratory area and in
Uttara. Gridlocks were also experienced at places like
Mohammadpur,
Dhanmondi,
Mirpur Road, and Gabtoli. Students blocked railway lines in
Chittagong and
Mohakhali. The
Dhaka–Chittagong,
Dhaka–Barisal, Dhaka–Rajshahi and
Dhaka–Tangail highways were also blocked. In the evening, the
Ministry of Education announced the indefinite closure of schools and colleges and the postponing of the
HSC exam scheduled for 18 July. The
UGC declared that all public and private universities across the country will remain closed until further notice. At the same time, all affiliated medical, textile, engineering and other colleges will also remain closed. The commission also directed university authorities to vacate residential halls allegedly considering safety of the students. In remembrance of the fallen, the movement announced a symbolic funeral prayer scheduled for July 17.
17 July Clashes erupted with police after the funeral prayer program organized by the student protesters, the
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and other parties to honor six individuals killed on 16 July for the quota reform movement. The government ordered all students to vacate the residential halls. The protestors rejected the order, to which the authorities deployed police to evacuate the halls. Students who blocked the
Dhaka-Barisal highway announced a total shutdown for 18 July, allowing only emergency services, to protest police violence, demand justice for the deceased, and call for a terror-free campus.
Sheikh Hasina addressed the nation at 7:30 p.m., where she announced a judicial probe into the deaths during the anti-quota protests and urged patience until the Supreme Court delivers its verdict, emphasizing justice for the students and condemning the violence. Students at the university erected the Shaheed Smriti Stambha, a memorial pillar to honor the memory of the dead students.
Complete Shutdown (18–19 July) 18 July In the morning police clashed with
BRAC University students on the streets of
Badda. Police also charged batons and fired tear gas canisters at the students and poisonous tear gas shells at the BRACU campus. The
Mirpur-10 station of the
Dhaka Metro was closed for arson at a foot-overbridge beneath it. Reports indicated that approximately 30 students were killed by the
Bangladesh police.
Minister of Law Anisul Haque urged the students to withdraw their movement. The
Bangladesh Police,
RAB,
Bangladesh Bank,
Bangladesh Prime Minister's Office and
Chhatra League's official website was hacked by a pro-protester group as a response to the violence and attacks carried out by the police and the Chhatra League.
Dhaka Metro Rail services in the capital were suspended, and at around 9 p.m., the government shut down internet access across the entire country. A second-year student from the Department of Chemical Engineering and Polymer Science at
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology drowned while attempting to cross a canal with friends. The incident occurred during a police chase amid clashes between students, police and Chhatra League members.
19 July The
Dhaka Metropolitan Police, in an attempt to hinder the students' protests, announced the indefinite suspension of public gatherings and processions. The
Bangladesh Railway authorities, on orders from higher-ups in the government, directed train services between Dhaka and the rest of the country to shut down to prevent quota reform protestors from using trains to travel or form gatherings, according to several unnamed railway supervisors speaking with
Prothom Alo. The nationwide shutdown of Internet access begun on 18 July continued into 19 July. Throughout the country, calls for quota reform protests largely continued. Around 10:00 a.m., teachers at
Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology wore black face coverings in protest. At approximately 12:45 p.m., after protesters in Kishoreganj District's Bhairab Thana surrounded the police station, police fired into the crowd from within the station, injuring over a hundred students. Some clashes with the police also took place elsewhere, including in Uttara, Mohammadpur, and
Badda thanas of Dhaka. The
Mirpur 10 and
Kazipara metro stations were vandalised, causing extensive damages worth . The government imposed a curfew at midnight and deployed
troops nationwide.
Negotiations and Supreme Court verdict (19–22 July) After the deadly Shutdown, the Students Against Discrimination and the government started negotiations on 19 July night. At midnight, a meeting took place between three government representatives and three representatives of the protesters:
Sarjis Alam,
Hasnat Abdullah, Sakib Ahmed Tuhin and Tanvir Ahmed. Notably,
Sarjis Alam was a member of the
Chhatra League and participated in the
2019 DUCSU election as a candidate from the Chhatra League. During the negotiations, at midnight of 20 July, Nahid Islam, a quota reform movement coordinator, was allegedly taken from a friend's house in Nandipara, according to his father. After being released on 21 July, Nahid reported being blindfolded, handcuffed, and tortured before regaining consciousness in
Purbachal. On 21 July, the
Appellate division of the Supreme Court finally reduced the percentage of quotas from 56% to 7%.
Suspensions (23–28 July) Following the verdict on July 22, the
Students Against Discrimination announced a two-day suspension of protests. They demanded that the government lift the curfew, restore internet access, and cease targeting student protesters. With the suspension of the protests by the Students Against Discrimination, no further violence was reported by this period. The agitators later further extended the suspension. But mass detentions were continued by the law enforcement agencies. On 26 July, police detained three coordinators of the
Students Against Discrimination from the hospital, namely
Nahid Islam, Abu Bakar Mazumder and
Asif Mahmud. The Home Minister claimed their detention was for their own security and investigation purposes. The later day, two more coordinators of the movement–
Sarjis Alam and
Hasnat Abdullah were detained. The Additional Deputy Commissioner of the
Detective Branch Junaed Alam Sarker and stated that they were detained for interrogation about their alleged connection with the opposition
Jamaat-e-Islami and
Gono Odhikar Parishad Member-Secretary
Nurul Haq Nur. In response, the movement threatened to resume their protests from 29 July if the three were not released, while also demanding action against ministers and police officers over the deaths of the protesters. Meanwhile, the government gradually relaxed the curfew restrictions, allowing banks, factories and offices to reopen. On 23 July, the ICT Minister announced that the government would restore broadband internet service partially to banks, business organizations, export sectors, and selected areas after a five-day disruption. Accordingly, on 24 July, broadband internet services were restored, and on 28 July, mobile internet was restored in Bangladesh, although social media websites like Facebook,
Instagram and
TikTok continued to be blocked. On 28 July, six protest coordinators of the
Students Against Discrimination, who had been taken into custody by the
Detective Branch, issued a statement from the DB office announcing the withdrawal of the protests. However, other coordinators of the movement alleged that these individuals had been coerced by the DB into making the statement. The remaining coordinators vowed to continue their protest, with or without the support of the six individuals.
Resumption (29 July – 2 August) during "Remembering the Heroes" march
29 July Protesters resumed large-scale demonstrations across various regions of the country after the government ignored an ultimatum to release their leaders. Police arrested 2,822 students in Dhaka. University professors across Bangladesh, under the "Anti-Repression Teachers Rally" banner, have called for an end to student harassment and mass arrests. They demanded the release of detained students and expressed solidarity with ongoing student protests. The rally, held at Dhaka University's
Aparajeyo Bangla on July 29, 2024, began with a moment of silence for students killed in the recent quota reform movement, which the teachers labelled the
July Massacre.
30 July A cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina on 29 July declared that nationwide mourning would be observed on 30 July to honour those killed during the quota reform movement. While Awami League leaders posted black profile pictures on Facebook, many users in Bangladesh chose red, rejecting the official mourning as a farce and declaring they will mourn only when justice is served for the dead students. At a press conference held at the
Dhaka Reporters Unity, several prominent citizens, including
Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of
Transparency International Bangladesh;
Rizwana Hasan, Chief Executive of the
Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA); and
Asif Nazrul, Professor of Law at University of Dhaka, issued a 24-hour ultimatum for the unconditional release of the six coordinators of the Students Against Discrimination movement currently in
Detective Branch (DB) custody.
31 July On 31 July, the Students Against Discrimination organized a nationwide protest named
"March for Justice" in response to the series of killings, mass arrests, attacks, lawsuits, enforced disappearances, and murders of students and citizens. Abdul Hannan Masud, one of the coordinators of the movement, confirmed the event. The protest was scheduled to take place at 12 pm across court premises, campuses, and streets nationwide, advocating for nine specific demands of the students. The movement sought the support and cooperation of teachers, lawyers, human rights activists, professionals, workers, and citizens. At 11:20, students from
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) and other educational institutions in
Sylhet marched from the university gate towards Court Point in support of the protest. By 11:00, protesters began assembling at the
Chittagong Court premises. Despite police barricades, around 200 protesters entered the premises and staged a sit-in. A group of 50 to 60 pro-BNP lawyers stood in solidarity with the students, while pro-Awami League lawyers conducted a counter-march. The protest in Chittagong concluded around 15:15 with a march from the court premises to the
New Market intersection. Around 13:15, students from
BUET, the
University of Dhaka, and several other universities marched towards the
High Court. Their progress was halted by the police near the
Bangladesh Shishu Academy, resulting in the detention of several students. In response, the students gathered at
Doel Square, later joined by teachers from Dhaka University's White Panel. The protest in Dhaka ended around 15:00 after nearly three hours of demonstration. From 12:20 to 13:00,
University of Rajshahi students blocked the Dhaka-Rajshahi Highway as part of the protest. Police detained five students from the university during the demonstration. At 15:00, after being shut down for 13 days,
Facebook,
WhatsApp and other
social media platforms were reopened.
1 August In memory of those killed, injured, and tortured by police during the 2024 quota reform movement, the Students Against Discrimination announced a nationwide program titled
"Remembering the Heroes" on 1 August. This announcement was made in a press release signed by Rifat Rashid, one of the co-coordinators of the Students Against Discrimination, on 31 July. Additionally, he called for online and offline campaigns in support of the movement and memory of the martyrs, using the hashtags
JulyMassacre and
RememberingOurHeroes on social media platforms. At 12:30 p.m., teachers and students of
Jahangirnagar University held a protest song rally and cultural gathering to protest the attacks on Dhaka University teachers, the mass arrests of protesting students and citizens, and the harassment through false cases. In solidarity with the movement, twelve teachers from the
Daffodil International University also participated in the JU event. After the 24-hour ultimatum for the unconditional release of the six coordinators of the quota reform movement expired, several prominent citizens, including
Iftekharuzzaman,
Rizwana Hasan, and
Asif Nazrul, announced that they would go to the DB office on the afternoon of 1 August. The government banned the
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, its student wing, the
Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir and its associated bodies citing anti-terrorism laws following their involvement in the protests. So far, 274 cases have been filed against students in various police stations in Dhaka Metropolitan. In these cases, up to the morning of 1 August, 3,011 students have been arrested by the
Dhaka Metropolitan Police. The police released six student leaders as the government looked to calm tensions and forestall fresh demonstrations. Upon being released from the DB office, several coordinators announced that they would continue the movement and shared their statements on social media. In
Narayanganj, the Candlelight Vigil program organized in support of "Remembering the Heroes" was disrupted by police intervention. During this time, the police baton-charged the students, injuring at least ten.
2 August chanting "ছি ছি হাসিনা, লজ্জায় বাঁচিনা" () The protesters sought justice for victims affected by the unrest and police crackdown following the release of student leaders. This release did not alleviate public anger, leading to renewed protests. Demonstrators demanded the reopening of schools and universities across the country and, called for
Sheikh Hasina's resignation. Clashes occurred as police fired rubber bullets, tear gas shells, and sound grenades in several locations, including
Uttara,
Khulna,
Sylhet, and
Habiganj. One police officer was beaten to death by protesters in Khulna, After five hours of restriction, access to Facebook and Messenger were reopened; however Telegram remained restricted. On the same day, the six coordinators, previously detained by the
Detective Branch, said they were coerced into withdrawing from the movement, alleging that the statement was obtained under duress for national broadcast. Following the ongoing violence and sabotage incidents centered around the quota reform movement, 78 HSC candidates arrested in related cases were granted bail from various courts nationwide. Among them, 55 were from the
Dhaka Division, 14 from the
Chittagong Division, six from the
Khulna Division, and three from the
Rangpur Division.
UNICEF expressed concern over the
deaths of at least 32 children during the protest crackdown. Sanjay Wijesekera, UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia, urged swift measures to ensure the children can return to school. As a last resort to quell the protests, Sheikh Hasina proposed peaceful talks with the protesters, stating that her office was open and expressing a desire to "sit with the quota protesters and listen to them." However, central coordinator Nahid Islam announced that the protesters had no plans to negotiate with the government. He added that they had endured torture while in police custody and had resorted to a hunger strike while detained by police and the Detective Branch. Asif Mahmud, another coordinator of the
Students Against Discrimination, stated, "There is no dialogue with bullets and terrorism." Around 10:30 a.m., students from various educational institutions in
Rajshahi marched and gathered in front of the
Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET), chanting slogans. The students took to the streets demanding the resignation of Sheikh Hasina. Students and ordinary people gathered at the
Shaheed Minar, Dhaka area with protest marches from different parts of the capital, At around 5:30 p.m., Nahid Islam, one of the coordinators, addressed the assembled crowd at Shaheed Minar. where the
Students Against Discrimination announced a single demand for the resignation of Sheikh Hasina and her cabinet and called for a comprehensive
non-cooperation movement from 4 August, which marked the end of the quota protests. The court granted bail to Arif Sohel, a coordinator of the
Students Against Discrimination, who remained in jail despite the decision. In
Chittagong, there was an attack on the residence of Education Minister
Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury. During this incident, two cars parked in front of the house were vandalized, and one of them was set on fire. Earlier, around 5:30 p.m., there was also an attack on the office of
Md Mohiuddin Bacchu, the
Member of Parliament for
Chittagong-10, located in the
Lalkhan Bazar. The office was set on fire during the attack. In another incident in
Sreepur, Gazipur one person was killed during clashes between police and protesting students. In
Rangpur, two police officers were temporarily suspended in connection with the death of
Abu Sayed on 16 July. The two officers are ASI Amir Hossain of Rangpur Police Lines and Constable Sujan Chandra Roy of Tajhat Police Station. During an Student Against Discrimination movement in
Sylhet, clashes occurred between the police and the students along with the public. Initial reports indicated that over a hundred people were injured in the conflict. At around 1:30 p.m. in Race Course,
Comilla, leaders and activists of the
Chhatra League,
Jubo League, and
Swechchhasebak League attacked a mass rally of Students Against Discrimination protesters. During the attack, they fired openly at the students, resulting in 10 students being shot and a total of 30 people being injured. In
Bogra, there were repeated clashes between protesting students and the police. From 4 p.m. to around 6 p.m., these confrontations lasted nearly two hours. During the conflict, the police fired tear gas shells, sound grenades, rubber bullets, and shotgun rounds. Several areas of the city, including Satmatha, Circuit House Mor, Romena Afaz Road, Kalibari Mor, Bir Muktijoddha Rezaul Baki Road, and Jailkhana Mor, turned into battlegrounds. At least six students were shot, and an additional 50 students were injured. On this day the movement ended and was succeeded by the
Non-cooperation movement.
Post movement Following the overthrow of the Awami League, the
Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh organised a student assembly to meet with the interim government and consult on the policies of said government, meeting with parties like the BNP. == Aftermath ==