After a long, hectic, and blood-stained July, there was no calm in the country. Instead, the unrest deepened.
Online activists even proposed calling August “July 32”—a symbol of their unwavering resistance, carried forward until the day of victory.
August 1, 2024, marked a turning point in the Monsoon Revolution, as six student coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement (ADSM) were released from custody, the government issued a historic ban on Jamaat-e-Islami, and a nation braced itself for remembrance.
In the late afternoon, the six detained ADSM coordinators—Nahid Islam, Asif Mahmud, Abu Baker Mojumder, Hasnat Abdullah, Sarjis Alam, and Nusrat Tabassum—were released from the Detective Branch (DB) office.
Their detention, staggered between July 26 and 28, had galvanized student protests and civil society outrage.
Outside the DB office, a sit-in led by prominent figures including Professor Asif Nazrul and environmentalist Syeda Rizwana Hasan demanded their release.
Upon release, coordinator Sarjis posted a message that would become emblematic of the movement’s spirit: “You can detain six people with six days of DB custody, but how will you detain the entire young generation of Bangladesh?”
On the same day, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a gazette banning Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir under Section 18(1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The ban marked the formal prohibition of a party long accused of opposing Bangladesh’s independence and engaging in extremist activities.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir condemned the move, calling it “deplorable, undemocratic, and unconstitutional,” and accused the Awami League of attempting to deflect blame and deepen unrest.
In response to the escalating violence and repression, ADSM co-coordinator Rifat Rashid announced the “Remembering Our Heroes” campaign.
The initiative called for nationwide remembrance of victims of mass killings, arrests, enforced disappearances, and assaults on students and teachers.
The campaign urged citizens to share content using hashtags #JulyMassacre and #RememberingOurHeroes, both online and offline, and demanded a UN-led investigation into the atrocities.
Across campuses, educators joined the resistance.
Teachers from Begum Rokeya University and Comilla University staged sit-ins demanding justice for those killed during the quota reform movement. In Sylhet, five professors from Shahjalal University of Science and Technology intervened to secure the release of three students detained in a late-night raid.
At Jahangirnagar University, Professor Shamima Sultana removed the portrait of prime minister Sheikh Hasina from her office, holding her responsible for the violence.
“This is not symbolic,” she said. “It’s a statement of accountability.”
Meanwhile, the fire-damaged premises of Bangladesh Television (BTV) became a site of mourning and protest for the pro-government activists. Actress Shomi Kaiser, visibly shaken, demanded justice: “I feel pained, outraged, and deeply saddened after witnessing the devastation.”
Rokeya Prachy added: “Just as life has value, so does national property.”
At Manik Mia Avenue, artists gathered in solidarity, endorsing the students’ nine-point demands and vowing to continue their protest.
Rock band Nemesis joined Abrovirus and Cryptic Fate in announcing their withdrawal from future Joy Bangla Concerts, citing the government’s handling of the protests.