When the calendar turned to August 5, 2024, Bangladeshis chose to call the day “36 July” instead, to mark a fresh start.
The symbolic extension of a month marked by protests, bloodshed and political upheavals reflected a collective belief that the movement that began in July had not ended with the calendar.
By midday on August 5, hundreds of thousands of students, workers, professionals, party activists, and ordinary citizens had converged on the streets of Dhaka despite curfews and heavy security measures.
What had started weeks earlier as a student-led movement demanding reforms to the public-sector job-quota system evolved into one of the country’s largest mass uprisings in decades.
Within hours, then prime minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and flew to India, bringing to an end nearly 16 years of Awami League-led rule and 18 years of absence of democracy.
The developments fundamentally altered Bangladesh’s political landscape and opened a new chapter marked by calls for democratic reforms, institutional rebuilding and accountability.
Two years later, August 5th continues to be remembered by many as “36 July”—a phrase that has become synonymous with resistance against authoritarianism and the restoration of democratic aspirations.
Political analysts say the movement demonstrated the ability of students and ordinary citizens to transform a single-issue protest into a nationwide demand for political change.
The uprising followed weeks of demonstrations triggered by opposition to the quota system in government jobs. As violence escalated and security forces cracked down on protesters, the movement broadened to include demands for justice, accountability and democratic rights.
Universities across the country became epicentres of mobilisation. Students organised marches, road blockades and rallies that gradually drew participation from workers, professionals, parents and citizens from all walks of life.
According to political observers, the events illustrated how public frustration accumulated over years of political polarisation, restrictions on civil liberties and contested elections eventually converged into an unprecedented nationwide movement.
The Awami League government fell on August 5, 2024, in the student-public mass uprising. Over 1,500 people were martyred across the country in that uprising, among whom the highest number were leaders, activists and supporters of BNP and its associate organisations.
According to BNP’s central office, 848 members of the now-ruling party and its associate organisations were killed during the July Uprising.
Among the 848 martyrs, the number of BNP leaders, activists, and supporters was 423. Among the remaining 425 martyrs of the associate bodies, 144 were from Chhatra Dal, 72 from Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal, 78 from Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal and 24 from Jatiyatabadi Swechchhasebak Dal.
Under the leadership of former BNP Chairperson late Begum Khaleda Zia and the party’s current Chairman, Tarique Rahman, the foundation of the July Uprising was laid through 17 years of continuous movement and struggle, said BNP Senior Joint Secretary-General and Political Adviser to the Prime Minister Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
Rizvi described August 5 as an outcome of prolonged resistance against what his party characterised as fascist rule.
“August 5 was the culmination of many years of sacrifice and resistance,” he said.
“Hundreds of opposition activists lost their lives and many disappeared, while thousands faced politically motivated cases. The people’s uprising created the opportunity to restore democratic politics.
“Our party activists witnessed 6.0 million cases, above 4,000 faced enforced disappearances.”
He said above 1500 people embraced death in the July uprising in a month in the hands of law enforcers and “Awami League goons”.
He said the responsibility now lies in building institutions capable of preventing the concentration of unchecked political power in the future.
Senior Joint Convener of NCP Arifur Rahman Tuhin said the deaths of protesters during the July movement, including Abu Sayed in Rangpur, became defining symbols of the sacrifices made throughout the uprising.
He said, “Sayed, Wasim, Mugdho, Priya and hundreds more martyred were the key inspirations for the revolution.”
Political analyst and author Dr Maruf Mallick argues that the removal of a government alone does not automatically restore democracy.
“The difficult task begins after the fall of an authoritarian regime,” he has said.
“Years of political interference weakened democratic institutions, affected the independence of the judiciary and undermined confidence in public administration.”
According to him, sustainable democratic governance will require comprehensive institutional reforms, constitutional safeguards, stronger accountability mechanisms and independent state institutions capable of protecting citizens’ rights irrespective of which political party holds office.
Reflecting on the significance of “36 July”, Prof Dr Nahreen I Khan of Jahangirnagar University said the day marked the collapse of a culture of fear that had dominated campuses and public life for years.
“On 36 July, the fear that had policed our thoughts for nearly two decades simply evaporated,” she said.
