July 18: The day pvt uni students etched their names in nation's history

On the locked screen of Mohammad Abu Daud's phone, a list of basic emergency information still lingers: Name, Age, Address, Emergency Number. It serves as a stark reminder of the July Revolution in Bangladesh, when thousands of young protesters— Daud, a BRAC University student, among them — braced themselves for danger by making their emergency details easily accessible. 

For the private university students, July 18 was a day of both horror and heroism, marked by relentless turmoil and fearless defiance.

It was utter chaos. Clashes erupted left and right — chases and counter-chases with the police and Chhatra League members. The air was thick with the sharp blasts of sound grenades, the stinging smoke of tear gas, and the constant threat of violence.

Splinters, rubber bullets, and bloodshed were everywhere. Daud and his fellow protesters darted between moments of hiding and helping, setting up makeshift medical camps and receiving aid from local residents who stepped in with water, food and first aid supplies. In the face of these fierce protests, the government imposed an internet blackout.

Their involvement bridged the movement to the urban elite, which set the stage for the uprising to snowball into a mass movement.

In Bangladesh's political landscape, student politics had long been synonymous with public university students. No politician, political analyst, international watchdog, or intelligence agency ever gave private university students a second thought. They were largely dismissed as politically irrelevant—until July 18, 2024. On that day, they boldly took to the streets, turning over a new leaf in the nation's political history, one written in blood. 

When I spoke with Mahfuz Alam, one of the leaders of the quota reform movement, just days after Sheikh Hasina's regime fell, I asked when he knew her government would crumble. Without skipping a beat, Mahfuz said, "The day private university students took to the streets and died for the cause." He explained, "Their involvement bridged the movement to the urban elite, which set the stage for the uprising to snowball into a mass movement."

After public universities, including Dhaka University, were forcibly evacuated on July 17, even the most hopeful amongst the protestors thought the movement was dead in the water. But little did they know, it would spread like wildfire from Dhaka University to the entire city, led by private university students. 

Among them, the joint forces of BRAC University and East West University—just 500 metres apart—became the heart of the resistance in the Rampura-Badda area. They fought with unprecedented courage and inspired students from other private universities to follow suit and take to the streets on their respective campuses.

Brac authorities in on the action

The movement gained serious traction on July 15, after Sheikh Hasina's "razakar" comment and the violent actions of the Chhatra League against protesting students. 

"That day, a group of private university students from NSU, UIU, BRAC, and other universities blocked the Notun Bazar road and protested for about two hours," Daud, who was deeply involved in the movement, recalled. That night, heated discussions within BRAC University's internal Facebook groups led to a decisive decision: the students would join the movement and assemble in front of their university gate at 10 am the following day.

"Our registrar stood with us," Daud said. "He told us, 'Whatever you need, we've got your back. You're fighting for a just cause, and we stand by you.'" The students protested peacefully throughout the day and dispersed by evening. On July 17, they took a breather, but things took a violent turn the next day.

On July 18, as students began gathering in front of the campus gate around 9:30am, the police showed up by 10am, launching tear gas and firing blank shots to drive them back into the campus. Once the students were inside, the police unleashed splinters, rubber bullets, and sound grenades from outside the gate. 

"Many of our friends were injured, and one even lost his eyesight from the splinters," Daud recounted.

By 10:30 am, the students managed to push back the police, forcing them to split into two groups—one heading toward Hatirjheel, and the other toward Canadian University - another nearby private institution. Some officers found themselves trapped inside Canadian University as students pelted them with bricks. In retaliation, the police ramped up their splinter fire. 

Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain

The students avoided direct confrontations, picketing from the sides to minimise the risk of being shot. They kept the officers boxed in, and once the police ran out of ammunition, the students pressed forward. By then, more students from other universities and colleges had joined the fray.

During the clash, one police officer was seriously injured. Despite the high tension, the students couldn't let him die. A few of them shielded him from the angry crowd, taking the blows on themselves. The injured officer was rushed to a nearby hospital, with a human chain protecting him along the way. When it became clear the hospital lacked the necessary facilities, he was transferred to Ad-din Hospital by ambulance.

Meanwhile, news spread like wildfire that Zillur Sheikh, a student from Imperial College, had been shot by the police on Hatirjheel Road. This news sent shockwaves through the students, fueling their determination even more. 

The university gate, initially closed, was eventually opened as tensions hit a boiling point. Students from East West University also arrived in solidarity. A medical team quickly set up to treat the injured students.

"Zillur was brought to the medical team at BRACU first, but he was already dead—shot in the head," Daud recalled somberly.

The students organised themselves into teams—some assisted the medical team, some sought external aid like oxygen cylinders and other supplies, while others took to the streets, ensuring the police couldn't get near the gate.

"We were scared out of our wits when we saw helicopters hovering above us," Daud said. "We thought they were going to open fire from the sky, and panic broke out." However, it soon became clear that the helicopter had come to evacuate the trapped police officers inside Canadian University.

Supplies like saline and water flowed in. While the university provided substantial support, much of the aid came from the local community. People from all walks of life—from rickshaw pullers to shopkeepers—brought food, water, masks, and other essentials to the protesters. The demonstration carried on throughout the day, with even the university's security personnel braving tear gas and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the students.

East West students join the fray

The students had braced themselves for an attack but were caught off guard by the chaos that unfolded. 

"The original plan was straightforward," recalled Tanvir Hossain Novel, a student activist from East West University. "BRAC University students would take position on Hatirjheel Road, while East West students would block the Rampura-Banasree intersection near the police box to prevent police from entering from both ends." 

With public universities already shut down, students were mentally prepared for a confrontation, and some even came equipped with sticks and bamboo poles. However, things didn't go according to plan. East West students were slow to gather, while BRAC students had already arrived in large numbers by 10 am, earlier than expected. 

As word spread that police were assembling near BRAC, rumours of a Chhatra League and police attack caused half of the East West students to march toward BRAC in support.

Upon reaching BRAC, the students were hit with tear gas, forcing them to scatter. Some sought refuge inside BRAC University, while others retreated back to East West, where news of the attack spread like wildfire. 

The original blockade plan had completely unravelled. Despite this, students from East West were soon joined by others from Banasree Ideal School and College, Khilgaon Ideal School and College, Imperial College, and other institutions, swelling their ranks.

At East West, students occupied the Aftab Nagar main gate, while police took positions near BRAC and the Rampura TV centre. Although BRAC's gates were open, East West's gate remained locked up to that time. Determined to stand their ground, some students broke the lock, and sent their female classmates inside to ensure their safety first.

The university's medical centre opened its doors to treat the injured as clashes with police escalated, with tear gas and splinter grenades flying from both sides.

Rumours soon surfaced that Chhatra League members from Badda and Rampura were planning an attack on the students. To counter this, two groups were sent to block the entry points through Aftab Nagar. Meanwhile, several students were injured by splinters and tear gas.

One student, standing firm like Abu Sayed, was struck in the leg by a tear gas shell, severely wounding him. Injured students were rushed to nearby hospitals like Nagorik and Farazy in Banasree.

The tension reached a boiling point after news of Zillur's death spread, igniting a violent shift in the protests. Up until then, the students had not targeted the Rampura police box, but after hearing about Zillur, it became a focal point of their anger. 

"Outsiders were also involved, as some middle-aged men were seen among the crowd," Novel noted.

Suddenly, the police box was set ablaze from within. "We didn't see who started the fire, and none of us claimed responsibility," Novel added. Police retaliated by firing at the students from the U-loop overpass, forcing them to scatter. Amid the chaos, the students quickly shifted their focus to helping the injured.

Inside East West University, a medical team had formed to tend to the wounded. By early afternoon, local residents from Aftab Nagar arrived in large numbers, bringing the students much-needed supplies—medical equipment, food, and water. Meanwhile, tensions continued to mount as students attacked the Badda police outpost.

During the clashes, a police officer was caught by an enraged mob and severely beaten. When some students saw him bleeding, they stepped in, shielding him from further harm and escorting him to East West University's emergency medical camp. Even the university's proctor assisted in ensuring the officer received proper treatment.

As the skirmishes raged on, a helicopter appeared overhead, circling East West and BRAC universities. Fearing officers might disembark from the copter, the students hastily planned to organise on the rooftop to fend off any potential attack. However, the helicopter eventually moved on to Canadian University without incident.

By 4 pm, Novel himself was injured. After receiving treatment, he ventured back toward the Rampura TV centre, where he saw fellow protesters had broken the BTV building gate, though no fire had yet been set. Rumours spread that army APCs had left the cantonment, and many believed they would head toward Rampura due to the escalating violence.

"With many students injured and tensions running high, we decided it was time to retreat," said Novel. Around 5 pm, the students were told to leave in groups for their safety. Teachers, including Proctor Anisur Rahman, urged them to go home, saying, "You've done enough, but it'll be risky once it gets dark. We support you, but we can't let you stay in harm's way."

The students, exhausted from the day's events, began to head home. Later that evening, news broke that a mob had stayed behind, and reports confirmed the BTV building had been set on fire. 

"We didn't start any of the fires—we didn't have the means for that. But we faced the police head-on. We didn't give them an easy fight," Novel reflected.