While the student movement toppled the regime, it did not lay the foundation for a democratic future, which requires a broader reimagining of the political landscape.

In the early hours of August 5, two young women were frantically searching for their 17-year-old brother, Ismail Hossen Rabbi, who had gone missing after leaving home the previous day to join the Anti-Discrimination student movement, breaking the lock on their tin-roofed house.

TDS: What’s your take on the uprising that toppled the Awami League regime?

In Bangladesh, inequality starts with education.

It is inspiring to see Gen Z carving out its own pathway by taking concrete actions rather than resorting to empty rhetoric

Cultural figures, some without even being directly involved in the movement, fuelled the protest with their music, art, and philosophy. As the fire of resistance raged on, the veil of fear was lifted, and more voices joined in. We can only hope that today’s celebrities learn to question power rather than remain subservient to it.

Zonayed Saki, chief coordinator of Ganosamhati Andolon, talks with The Daily Star about the current political situation of the country.