Though protests had already begun in response to a High Court verdict reinstating quotas in government jobs, it was on July 1, 2024, that the movement for reforms to the quota system truly took shape.

What can songs do? A lot, actually! They can win hearts and also aid in unsettling an entire system and dethroning the powerful. We have been reminded of the latter during the recent student protests and a powerful reminder it was as the Gen Z of Bangladesh took old, patriotic songs and used them in a modern context.