Where are these faces of July now?

Rain is pouring down, but no one seems to care. Instead, the protesters’ united chant rises above the sound of the rain and echoes in every direction: “Why was my brother killed? We demand answers from the authorities.”

The date was 2 August 2024, and the location was the campus of RAJUK Uttara Model College in the capital’s Uttara area. The demonstration erupted spontaneously in protest against the detention of a student from the college amid the ongoing movement, as well as the indiscriminate shooting and killing carried out by law enforcement agencies. Current and former students took part in the protest, joined by teachers and parents.

Among the protesters that day was Shaila Akter Shashi, a former student of RAJUK College. A photograph of her chanting slogans while sitting in a rickshaw in the pouring rain spread widely across social media. It went on to become one of the defining images of the July Mass Uprising.

Shaila is now a fourth-year student at the private BRAC University. Although she has returned to her studies, the memories of the movement remain vivid. She joined the protests on 18 July 2024.

Prothom Alo spoke with Shaila in Aftabnagar in the capital on the 9 July of this month. Reflecting on the viral photograph, she said: “Seeing so many people join the human chain overwhelmed me with emotion. All my fear disappeared.

The participation of teachers and parents, in particular, stirred something extraordinary within me. The entire college campus was resonating with slogans while heavy rain poured down. I had never witnessed anything like it before. I became so immersed in chanting the slogans that I didn’t even realise someone was taking my photograph.”

Remembering her participation in that day’s protest still fills Shaila with pride, but also with regret. In her view, the aspirations for the new Bangladesh for which people sacrificed their lives have not been fulfilled. Political parties remain preoccupied with their own interests. The martyrs of July have not been properly honoured, and many of those injured are still paying for their own medical treatment.

In Shaila’s words, “As a July fighter, I am deeply disappointed and profoundly ashamed when I look at the country today. Abu Sayed, Mugdho, and the others did not give their lives for a country like this. So many sacrifices were made to change the system, yet we are still trapped in that very same system. I don’t see any change at all. The only thing that has changed is the party in power. July is now just a name. No one has truly recognised its real significance.”

Shaila is not alone. Prothom Alo also spoke to six other people whose images became widely circulated during the July Mass Uprising. Some had stood in front of police gunfire, some had been rescued while injured, while others had marched carrying the bodies of their martyred brothers on their shoulders.

Two years later, all of them have largely returned to their normal lives. Yet, in assessing the situation following the Mass Uprising, they expressed strikingly similar feelings of disappointment.

Most of them believe that while the fall of the Awami League government and the restoration of voting rights were major achievements, the expected progress in reforming the state, establishing the rule of law, bringing those responsible for the mass killings to justice, and curbing corruption and extortion has yet to materialise.

Some, however, argue that reform is a long-term process and that the government should be given sufficient time to deliver the desired changes.

Nasir’s Stand with a Tin ‘Shield’

On 4 August, the day before the fall of the Awami League government, sanitary technician Md. Nasir Khan stood in front of police officers at Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar holding a makeshift shield fashioned from a sheet of tin.

The image quickly became one of the defining photographs of the movement, although Nasir had joined the protests much earlier, on 22 July.

Speaking to Prothom Alo in Motijheel on 9 July, Nasir recalled that he had removed a tin sheet from a temporary fence near the Sonargaon Hotel and split it into two pieces. He turned one into a shield and walked past the other protesters to stand directly in front of the police. At one point, he was struck by shotgun pellets in his forehead and hand. Another protester standing beside him was also shot. Eventually, he could no longer hold on to the tin shield.

“The students had begun protesting for quota reform,” Nasir said. “But when I saw the government shooting people like birds, my conscience wouldn’t let me stay home. I would have regretted it for the rest of my life if I hadn’t joined the movement that day.”

He believes the interim government has failed to take full advantage of the opportunity for reform. He also expressed frustration that his name was not included on the official list of injured July fighters. At the same time, he argued that the current government should be given sufficient time to carry out meaningful state reforms.

Raihan: Returning from the Brink of Death

On 19 July, during one of the most violent days of the movement, Raihan Molla was shot by police in front of Uttara East Police Station. A photograph showing him taking cover behind a road divider after being wounded became widely circulated. He had first joined the demonstrations on 16 July.

At the time of the uprising, Raihan was studying at the College of Aviation Technology. He now runs a business while also working to preserve documents and records related to the July Uprising.

Speaking to Prothom Alo in Karwan Bazar on 10 July, Raihan recounted what happened that morning.

“My friends and I blocked traffic on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway. When I approached the police as a representative of the protesters, they deceptively told me to take everyone away. When we refused, they first threatened to kill us and then opened fire. The very first shot was aimed at me. The microphone dropped from my hand and I collapsed to the ground. Later, I took shelter behind the road divider.”

Although his physical injuries have largely healed, the sound of gunfire, people’s screams, and the faces of those who never returned continue to haunt him.

According to Raihan, the movement sought to build a state based on equality, justice, and accountability. While some positive changes have taken place, he believes that vision remains unrealised. The spirit of the uprising will only be fulfilled when the rule of law, justice, reduced corruption and inequality, and equal rights for everyone are truly ensured, he said.

Nahidul: The Young Man Whose Mouth Was Covered

As the movement reached its peak, Md. Nahidul Islam joined the “March for Justice” programme on 31 July. Police detained him near the Mazar Gate outside the High Court, and a photograph of an officer covering his mouth during the arrest spread widely across social media. Nahidul had joined the movement on 10 July with the hope of building a more equal Bangladesh.

He recently completed his bachelor’s examinations in political science at New Model Degree College in Dhanmondi and is awaiting his results. He now works as an assistant director in television drama production.

Speaking at his college campus on 9 July, Nahidul recalled the incident.

“During the March for Democracy programme, the police became aggressive. When I protested, one officer told me, ‘I’ll kill you.’ I replied, ‘How many more enforced disappearances and killings will satisfy you?’ That’s when they covered my mouth. Later, lawyers helped secure my release from the High Court premises.”

Reflecting on the past two years, Nahidul argued that the Awami League’s downfall began when it monopolised the legacy of the Liberation War, Bangabandhu, and the slogan “Joy Bangla.”

In his view, the July Uprising has similarly failed because one particular group has sought to appropriate it for itself.

He also warned the government that unless it helps young people achieve the goals they fought for, future generations may simply repeat the mistakes of the past.

Nusrat: The Human Shield Before a Police Vehicle

Like Nahidul, Nusrat Jahan, a student at Stamford University, took part in the March for Justice programme. When police attempted to arrest senior student Nur Alam, she stood in front of the police vehicle in protest. A photograph of that moment became another iconic image of the movement. She had been on the streets since 18 July.

Speaking in Demra on 9 July, Nusrat said, “I stood there simply to protest against injustice. There wasn’t time to think about what would happen next.”

Recalling the incident, she said, “During the March for Justice, police suddenly attacked students inside the High Court premises and began making arrests. When they were taking Nur Alam bhai away, I did what I felt I had to do. Before July, I never knew I had that kind of courage. That courage still inspires me today.”

Nusrat believes that aside from the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government and the restoration of voting rights, many of the uprising’s aspirations remain unfulfilled. She sees little progress in improving law and order, ensuring women’s safety, or implementing the proposed July Charter. In her view, establishing the rule of law remains the country’s most urgent priority.

Mim’s Procession with Her Brother’s Body

On the afternoon of 5 August, the day the Awami League government fell, sisters Mitu Akter and Mim Akter carried the body of their brother, Ismail Hossain Rabbi, from the morgue of Dhaka Medical College Hospital through Chankharpul. The image became one of the uprising’s most enduring symbols.

Mitu was a homemaker, while Mim was then a postgraduate student at Kabi Nazrul Government College. She had joined the protests on 3 August.

Now employed at the July Shaheed Smriti Foundation, Mim spoke to Prothom Alo in Shahbagh on 9 July.

She said she no longer thinks much about the country’s future, but hopes that an elected government will stand beside the families of those killed during the uprising and take stronger action against mob violence and extortion.

Lamiya: Victim of Chhatra League Attack at Dhaka University

As the protests continued to grow, activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League attacked demonstrating students at the University of Dhaka on 15 July. During the violence, Lamiya Raihan grabbed another female student’s hand and ran from the VC Chattar area, while a Chhatra League activist chased them with a stick. A photograph capturing that moment later went viral.

Lamiya, a student of Eden Mohila College, had been actively involved in the protests since 7 July.

Speaking in Azimpur on 9 July, she recalled the attack.

“One girl was standing there just like me, completely unsure what to do. I grabbed her hand and said, ‘Come, let’s run this way.’ As we were running, several Chhatra League activists came after us to beat us. One of those moments was captured in the photograph that later went viral. We only found out about it afterwards.”

Lamiya said she feels encouraged knowing the photograph inspired many people to join the movement. However, she believes much of the dream of building a Bangladesh free from discrimination, corruption, and extortion remains unrealised.

She also alleged that because one group has tried to monopolise the July Uprising, public interest in its ideals has gradually faded.

She expressed one personal disappointment: although her viral photograph has been used repeatedly in programmes commemorating July over the past two years, she herself has never been invited to any of those events.

Despite coming from different backgrounds and experiencing different moments during the protests, all seven individuals shared a common aspiration—a Bangladesh free from discrimination.

They regard the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government as a historic achievement. Yet they also believe the country still has a long way to go before the vision that brought people onto the streets can truly be realised. In their view, the sacrifices of those who died during the July Uprising will only be honoured when Bangladesh establishes the rule of law, accountability, and a genuinely non-discriminatory state.