36 July

'36 July' is a special term in Bangladesh. It refers to 5 August 2024, a day of great change and a historic moment for the people of Bangladesh. On this day, the regime of an autocrat government, which lasted over 15 years, collapsed. In this way, the dictatorship came to an end. The then Prime Minister had to resign and flee the country because of a mass uprising.

The events leading to '36 July' began earlier in June 2024. On 5 June, the High Court Division restored the quota system in government jobs. This decision upset the general students, who wanted reforms in the system. As a result, they began their protest. By 16 July, the situation turned violent as the government tried to suppress the movement. Law enforcement agencies, were deployed to suppress the students. They fired bullets at students and innocent people, charged with batons, and detained the protesters, but could not stop them from protesting.

On 21 July, the Supreme Court supported the demand for quota reform. However, the protesters had more demands. They sought justice for the killings during the protests, which they referred to as the 'July Massacre'. To put emphasis on the continuation of the protest, the students started counting the days of July beyond its usual 31 days. For them, 1 August became '32 July', and this counting continued.

The protest grew stronger. On 4 August, the protesters announced a non-cooperation movement, naming the day '35 July'. The next day, 5 August, was marked as '36 July'. On this day, thousands of people marched to Dhaka from different parts of Bangladesh. The mass uprising forced the then Prime Minister to resign and leave the country. The protesters called their success the 'Second Independence' or 'Rebirth Day.
The term '36 July' is now a symbol of unity and courage. It appears in murals, graffiti, and art across the country. It reminds us of the people's power and shows that unity and bravery can bring about meaningful change.