July 20–21, 2024: Abductions, Torture, and a Growing Resolve

Despite the curfew, protesters returned to the streets. Spontaneous rallies broke out across Dhaka. Gunfire, tear gas, and baton charges followed. Protesters were arrested. One of them was student coordinator Abu Bakr Mojumder.

That night, Nahid Islam made a decision. He would not go underground. He would stay visible.

At 2:30 AM, a group of 20 to 25 plainclothes security officers stormed the Khilgaon home where Nahid had been staying. They blindfolded him and drove him for nearly an hour to an undisclosed location. There, he was interrogated, beaten with iron rods, and pressured to withdraw from the movement. He lost consciousness. When he awoke nearly 24 hours later, he found himself abandoned on a roadside near Purbachal. Bloodied and disoriented, he made his way home. That afternoon, he was admitted to Gonoshasthaya Nagar Hospital.

On the same night, other movement leaders were summoned to meet three government ministers. They were offered a revised set of demands, softened and reduced from nine to eight points.

Even as backdoor negotiations unfolded, the country’s highest court issued a ruling: merit-based recruitment must account for 93 percent of positions. Freedom fighter families would receive 5 percent, indigenous groups 1 percent, and persons with disabilities and members of the third gender another 1 percent. If no eligible candidates were found in these quotas, the vacancies would revert to the general merit list. The executive branch was ordered to act immediately.

That evening, several student leaders visited Nahid Islam at the hospital. They issued a new ultimatum—48 hours to reopen campuses, reconnect the internet, ensure safety for coordinators, and lift the curfew.

A joint statement signed by 56 coordinators was released to the press. The message was simple: the protests would intensify. Court rulings alone could not erase the blood on the streets. Justice was not optional. It was overdue.