By Rosemarie Zamora
In early June 2024, Bangladeshi youths held student protests against a controversial job quota system in public jobs.
University students held numerous demonstrations to oppose the system that would reserve 30 percent of government jobs for children of independence war veterans.
The student protests escalated into widespread unrest as the government of then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resorted to violence to crack down on protesters, leading to thousands of deaths.
This also resulted in the then-government implementing arbitrary arrests and detentions, curfews and internet shutdown.
Following pressure from the military, Hasina resigned from her position on August 5, 2024, ending her 15-year rule in Bangladesh.
Following her resignation, Hasina fled the country to India.
A year after the deadly uprising, how is Bangladesh performing as a nation under the interim government?
A year later
On August 8, 2024, Bangladesh formed an interim government under Nobel Laureate Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus.
The interim government will remain in office until a new Prime Minister is appointed after a snap general election.
Under Yunus’ leadership, the interim government announced the formation of six commissions to bring reforms in six major sectors, including the Constitution.
Yunus also introduced a reform plan, including establishing a fair election system and good governance.
Investigations, cases filed against Hasina and family
The interim government also launched investigations into the possible crimes against humanity committed by Hasina and her Awami League Party during the July Uprising.
In February 2025, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) launched its fact-finding report on the cases of abuses during the uprising.
In the report, the OHCHR said there were 1,400 protest-related deaths, including 13 women, during the period from July 15 to August 5, 2024.
The Ministry of Health also recorded 13,529 injuries, including at least 390 women and four persons listed as “other”.
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In addition, there were 11,702 arrests by police and Rapid Action Battalion.
Following Hasina’s fall, numerous cases were filed against her, her Awami League party and her family, including alleged crimes against humanity in relation to the July Uprising.
The prosecution of the International Crimes Tribunal-1 on June 1 formally pressed charges against Hasina, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former top cop Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, for murder, attempted murder, torture, and use of lethal weapons, among others.
The charges stated that the three former officials were involved in crimes against humanity because of their superior command responsibility, conspiracy, incitement, instigation, facilitation, abetment, complicity, failure to punish, and failure to prevent crimes.
The interim government also launched corruption cases against Hasina and her family.
Bangladesh commemorates the July Uprising
In commemoration of the first anniversary of the July Uprising, the interim government announced a month-long program to mark the event.
According to Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, a special program is being prepared to remember the mass uprising.
He said the main purpose of the program is to bring back the feeling that united the whole of Bangladesh in July.
One year has passed since the Uprising and much has changed, but there is still a lot to be done to enable the country to recover from the decades-long abuses and corruption.
As Bangladesh gears up for the next general election in 2026, many hope the public will elect the right people to lead the country, so people’s dream of a clean political system will be achieved.
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