July 22–23, 2024: A Partial Concession and an Unanswered Question

On July 22, the government formally approved a new gazette notification revising the quota system, in line with the Supreme Court’s directive. The following day, the revised policy was officially published.

But for many students, the gesture felt incomplete. That evening, limited broadband internet was restored across the country. And at the Dhaka Reporters Unity auditorium, Nahid Islam and other coordinators addressed the press.

They welcomed reform, but not the way it was delivered. The government, they said, had acted unilaterally—ignoring the voices of students, civil society, and other stakeholders. “This gazette,” said Nahid, “has come at too great a cost. It should never have required blood to trigger a policy.”

He added, with quiet conviction, that the movement would continue until there was justice for those who had been killed, beaten, or abducted.