June 5, 2024: A Verdict Ignites the First Spark

On June 5, the High Court ruled that the government circular abolishing the freedom fighter quota in public sector jobs (grades 9 to 13) was unlawful. The decision sent ripples across campuses.

That very evening, hundreds of students gathered near the central mosque of Dhaka University. Under the banner “Students of Dhaka University,” they marched through the campus streets and assembled at the Raju Sculpture, where speeches were given. The crowd then moved to the university library and announced the first protest program.

Among the speakers that day was Nahid Islam, a sociology student at Dhaka University. Calling the reinstated quota policy a “mockery” and an act of “discrimination,” he called for another demonstration the following day.