Staff Reporter :
At least 36 attacks were carried out on individuals who actively participated in the July uprising, as well as on their family members, across different parts of the country over the past nine months, according to a study conducted by the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB).
The study was carried out by the Fact Check, Media and Research wing of PIB, known as ‘Bangla Fact’.
Citing news reports from national and regional media outlets, Bangla Fact stated on its official Facebook page that 36 incidents of attacks were documented between July 2024 and March 2025. These targeted participants of the July-August mass upsurge and their families.
“No political affiliation was found in nine of the cases,” Bangla Fact noted, adding, “It should be mentioned that more incidents may have occurred but remained unreported or were excluded due to the limitations of the study.”
According to the findings, 27 of the 36 attacks were politically motivated. In 13 of those cases—around 48 percent—allegations were directed against leaders and activists of the ruling Awami League and its affiliated organisations, including the (now-banned) Chhatra League and Jubo League.
Beyond physical assaults, the report highlighted disturbing acts of desecration. For instance, the graves of uprising participants Faizul Islam and Sayem were vandalised on April 26 and March 14 respectively, in Keraniganj, on the outskirts of Dhaka. Sayem’s mother accused local Awami League leader Sirajul Islam of involvement in the incident.
On January 25, Awami League activists reportedly attacked two coordinators of the “Students Against Discrimination” movement after they captured and handed over a banned Chhatra League activist to police at Gopalganj Science and Technology University. Two journalists were also injured in the incident, according to media reports.
In another attack on December 21, Mostak Ahmed Noman, organising secretary of the banned Upazila Chhatra League, was arrested for assaulting Mubarak Hossain Abhi, a coordinator of the anti-discrimination student movement in Gouripur, Mymensingh.
The study underscores a concerning pattern of retaliation against participants and sympathisers of the mass protests, raising questions about political tolerance and the safety of activists and their families.
