Quota reform movement ") In 2018, a
mass movement arose in Bangladesh demanding quota reform in government jobs, led by the General Students' Rights Protection Council. The movement's main objective was to reform the ongoing quota system in Class I and II government jobs. After continuous agitation and pressure by students, the government announced the abolition of the 46-year-old quota system. In 2021, seven children of freedom fighters, including Ahidul Islam, filed a written petition in the High Court challenging this decision. On 5 June 2024, a High Court bench of Justice KM Kamrul Quader and Justice Khizir Hayat declared the decision to scrap the quota system invalid. Immediately after the announcement of the verdict, students started protesting it at universities across the country. The movement became more intense in July, with students staging blockades including the "Bangla Blockade". During this time, police used excessive force to quell the agitation. The student
Abu Sayed was shot dead by police in Rangpur. This incident made the movement more intense and increased tension across the country. After that, the movement became violent and many casualties were caused by the attacks of law enforcement agencies,
Bangladesh Chhatra League and
Jubo League. Curfew was imposed across the country and the internet was shut down. The hearing date of the Appellate Division was later brought forward due to the agitation. Students Against Discrimination gained momentum when private university students joined on 16 July. In response to the escalating quota reform movement, the government mandated the closure of all educational institutions on 16 July 2024. On 17 July, students residing in dormitories at public universities across the nation, including Dhaka University, were compelled to vacate their accommodations. Due to the permanent residency of a significant portion of private university students in Dhaka, their presence in the city noticeably increased on 18 July. On that date, a substantial confrontation occurred between law enforcement and students affiliated with
Primeasia University,
BRAC University and
East West University in the Rampura area. Simultaneously, students from
American International University-Bangladesh,
North South University,
Independent University, Bangladesh,
Dhaka International University and
United International University staged demonstrations along Kuril Bishwa Road and Pragati Sarani. Concurrently, protests were initiated by students from
Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology,
Bangladesh University of Textiles,
Southeast University in Mohakhali area and
Northern University in the Uttara region.
Razakar slogans , drawing sharp criticism and further escalating the unrest that ultimately culminated in her
resignation. using the Razakar slogans on 14 July 2024 at 11:30 p.m. (
BST) On 14 July, during a press conference,
Sheikh Hasina responded to a question about the protests: In response, in the early hours of 15 July, students began using slogans such as, Protesters argued that Hasina's statement indirectly labelled them "Razakars" and demeaned them for advocating for quota reform, which led them to adopt the slogan.
Internet outage To prevent the movement from spreading nationwide, the government ordered the internet shut down across the country. The shutdown began on 18 July and ended on 28 July. Social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube remained restricted till 5 August.
Judgment of the Appellate Division on the case On 4 July, the Appellate Division of Bangladesh declared the government's decision to cancel the Freedom Fighter quota system invalid for the first time. The second categories of government jobs were also invalid without hearing the application of the state.It upheld the High Court's verdict for the time being and asked the state to file a leave of appeal. At that time Chief Justice Obaidul Hasan said that the movement was taking place but it is not possible to change the verdict of High Court by just protesting on the streets. Later on 10 July, the Appellate Division issued a four-week status quo order on the High Court verdict along with some observations and directions in view of the petition filed by the state party and two students. 7 August had been fixed for the next hearing. When the full judgment of the High Court was published on 14 July, leave to appeal was filed by the state and two students. Based on the application of Attorney General AM Amin Uddin on 18 July, the Chamber Court of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, Justice M Inayetur Rahim fixed the date of hearing the case on Sunday, 21 July. On 21 July, the Appellate Division reinstated the quota and quashed the judgment given by the High Court. At the same time, even though it is a policy-making matter for the government, in the interest of complete justice according to the constitution, the court ordered 93 percent merit-based recruitment in government jobs. On this day, for the first time in the history of Bangladesh, the proceedings of the Supreme Court were held under curfew.
Massacre By early August 2024, the unrest resulted in a significant death toll. Initial official reports claimed 215 deaths, but a United Nations investigation later confirmed that at least 1400 people were killed. In August, the
Interim government's
Health and Welfare Adviser,
Nurjahan Begum, reported that over 1,000 individuals had been killed in the uprising and more than 400 students had lost their eyesight. Additionally, more than 20,000 were injured, and over 11,000 were arrested nationwide. Among the deceased were at least 32 children, according to
UNICEF. The exact number of casualties remains uncertain due to Awami League government restrictions on information, including reports that hospitals were barred from sharing data, CCTV footage was confiscated by security forces, some killed were put in to secret mass grave and some victims were buried without identification. The massacre, known as the
July massacre, prompted significant criticism and calls for accountability. The University Teachers Network held a demonstration at the
University of Dhaka, expressing concern over the violence. Protibadi Nagorik Somaj condemned the killings during the movement, calling them a massacre and expressing doubts about the judiciary's ability to deliver impartial justice, as the inquiry commission was formed by the
Hasina government, which is accused of involvement in the massacre. Some academics rejected the government-established public inquiry commission, calling for intervention by the United Nations. In
Sylhet, Nagorik Alem Somaj organized a protest criticizing the killings.
Sheikh Hasina, in her first public statement published through her son
Sajeeb Wazed, since being ousted from power, called for an investigation into the deaths during the protests, while also asserting that the police and the Awami League were victims of "terrorist aggression." Govinda Pramanik, president of the
Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance and a pro-Indian voice alleged that the government had killed over 500 innocent people to maintain power, urging that the events be prosecuted at the
International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh. Several labor unions and organizations also criticized the killings, demanding justice for those who lost their lives during the July massacre. A protest march under the banner of
Chittagong University Chhatra Dal in
Chattogram demanded prosecution against Sheikh Hasina for the massacre. The
Left Democratic Alliance,
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal and the Anti-Fascist Left Front criticized the Awami League government rule, urging financial compensation for the families of those killed in the protests and free medical care for the injured. Similarly, the
National Democratic Party demanded in compensation for the families of those who died during the massacre, along with a government job for at least one member of each affected family.
Islami Andolan Bangladesh called for an independent tribunal to ensure justice for the victims of the massacre. In addition, the People's Rights Party called for all political parties within the
Grand Alliance, including Awami League, to be barred from future elections.
Non-cooperation movement On 4 August, thousands of protesters gathered at the
Shahbagh intersection in the morning, obstructing it as a form of
civil disobedience to demand the government's resignation. Following the start of the Non-cooperation movement, various left-wing organisations in Bangladesh took part in protests. The
Proletarian Party of East Bengal for example began a graffiti campaign within the city following the fall of Hasina and the Awami League aimed at criticising the army and calling for an end to military rule. Other far-left student groups also took part in the revolution, such as the Revolutionary Student-Youth Movement, a Marxist–Leninist–Maoist organisation. At least 97 people died nationwide in confrontations, shootings, and pursuits related to the Non-cooperation movement. Fourteen police officers were killed across the country, with 13 deaths occurring during the
Attack on Enayetpur police station in
Sirajganj. Another officer was killed in Eliotganj,
Comilla. Twenty-seven police facilities were attacked and vandalized, and a hundred policemen were injured in these incidents, according to an official statement by the
Bangladesh Police. In Dhaka, unidentified individuals set fire to and damaged various vehicles, including cars, ambulances, motorcycles, and buses, at the
Bangladesh Medical University during the protests. Around 4.30 pm, 11th-grader
Golam Nafiz was shot by the police in Dhaka
Farmgate area. A photo of him being taken to the hospital on rickshaw went viral, inciting outrage. By 12 pm, users across the country reported internet inaccessibility. The government ordered the closure of Facebook,
Messenger,
WhatsApp,
Instagram, and all other
Meta-owned services, directing internet service providers to comply by 1 pm. The government declared a three-day general holiday starting on 5 August, during which banks would also remain closed. Students Against Discrimination confirmed its intention to march towards Dhaka on 6 August to demand the Prime Minister's resignation. The Bangladesh University Teachers' Network proposed a framework for an interim government, suggesting it be composed of teachers, judges, lawyers, and representatives from civil society, reflecting the views of various civil and political groups for a
democratic transition. Asif Mahmud, a coordinator of Students Against Discrimination, announced that its
march to Dhaka had been rescheduled for 5 August. He called on protesters and civilians nationwide to march toward the capital and participate in civil disobedience. Several former
Bangladesh Army officers, including former chief of staff
Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan, held a press briefing urging soldiers to return to camps and refrain from getting involved in the political crisis or being used against civilians. Retired Brigadier General
M. Sakhawat Hossain said there was significant unease among the troops, which likely pressured the chief of army staff as soldiers were deployed and witnessing the events. Retired officers, including Brigadier General
Mohammad Shahedul Anam Khan, defied the curfew on Monday and took to the streets, with Khan noting that the army did not intervene. In response to calls for a march to Dhaka, DMP Commissioner
Habibur Rahman warned of zero tolerance, saying legal action would be taken against curfew violators. Students Against Discrimination rejected the curfew and encouraged everyone to march towards the
Ganabhaban and
Prime minister's office. In the morning of 5 August 2024, units of the
Dhaka Metropolitan Police and
Armed Police Battalion committed the
Chankharpul massacre to hold the area of Dhaka and disperse the approaching participants of the Long March to Dhaka. At first the police fired tear gas, sound grenades, and rubber bullets. On the same day, up to 135 people, including 24 police officers, were killed during protests.
Resignation of Sheikh Hasina Hasina resigned on 5 August 2024, as large crowds of demonstrators surrounded the
prime minister's residence. Her resignation was announced by General
Waker-uz-Zaman, the Chief of the Army Staff. Later that day, Hasina fled to India in a chaotic departure, first by car, then by helicopter, and finally by plane. and that she would return to the country once elections were declared. He also insisted that Sheikh Hasina was still the prime minister, saying that she was unable to formally submit her resignation after being forced to flee from the protesters. Hasina had hoped to go to London, but the United Kingdom reportedly rebuffed initial overtures seeking
political asylum. She reportedly considered seeking temporary residence in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Belarus, or Qatar. Because her nephew lives in Finland, that country was speculated as a possible destination. Although Sajeeb Wazed lives in the U.S., she is considered unlikely to seek asylum there, as the U.S. government criticized her rule in Bangladesh. Hasina was living in a secret location in India under tight security as of August 2024. Sajeeb Wazed said that the protests which led to her resignation had support from a foreign intelligence agency, without naming any country. In a statement published in the Indian media on 11 August, she accused the United States of influencing her resignation, and previously accused the United States of conspiring to oust her in the
Jatiya Sangsad. However, Wazed called the statement "false and fabricated" and said Hasina "did not give any statement before or after leaving Dhaka". The
White House also denied allegations of any US involvement. On 13 August, Hasina released her first confirmed statements since her overthrow published by Wazed Joy calling for an investigation into the killings made during the protests, while insisting that police and the Awami League were also victims of "terrorist aggression". ==Outside Bangladesh==