One year ago, Bangladesh was plunged into chaos as violent clashes swept through the capital and beyond, leaving at least 56 people dead and hundreds injured.
The sprawling unrest, sparked by escalating student protests, culminated in a nationwide paralysis — a day now etched in memory as one of the deadliest in the country’s recent history.
Dhaka’s streets were deserted yet tense.
Fear gripped neighborhoods as 300 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed nationwide, including 75 in Dhaka alone.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) imposed a sweeping ban on all public gatherings, rallies, and processions in the capital.
Amid the unrest, photojournalist Taher Zaman Priyo was killed while covering demonstrations on Green Road.
In Mohammadpur, student Mahmudur Rahman Shoikot was fatally shot, and Rudro Sen of Shahjalal University tragically drowned after being chased into a pond — allegedly by police and Chhatra League activists.
At Narsingdi District Prison, a petrol bomb thrown from outside set off a massive blaze.
Thick smoke blanketed the complex as inmates broke through the gates in chaotic waves.
Roughly 826 prisoners escaped, including nine militants, with attackers reportedly looting arms, ammunition, and food.
Multiple facilities were targeted and vandalized — from metro stations in Kazi Para and Mirpur 10, the Mirpur Indoor Stadium, and Metropolitan Hospital, to police offices, City Corporation units, and even the Cox’s Bazar Express train at Bhairab station.
In Rampura, Mohammadpur, and Dhanmondi, residents described helicopters flying overhead, dropping tear gas and sound grenades, filling the air with panic and smoke.
The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement (ADSM) issued nine demands and refused any government dialogue until these were fulfilled.
ADSM coordinator Sarjis Alam said: “The government must take responsibility for the deaths of all the students killed.”
Political leaders responded in stark contrast.
Awami League’s Obaidul Quader accused opposition factions of hijacking the student movement, while BNP’s Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir urged authorities to “not fire bullets into the chests of this nation’s children.”
As violence intensified on July 19, the government imposed a nationwide curfew on July 20 to restore control and restrict public movement.
Troops were stationed in key areas, while security forces continued crackdowns across Dhaka and regional towns.
