By Rudro Al Muttakin 

DHAKA, July 31, 2025 (BSS) - Nafsin Mehanaz Azireen, a student of North South University, played a key role in mobilizing female students during the July Uprising, 2024. 

She believes when women rise up, history changes and that the country’s political landscape could be transformed if women's power is properly harnessed.

She envisions a Bangladesh where questioning the government doesn’t lead to enforced disappearances, where protesting doesn't mean risking bullets and where expressing dissent isn’t treated as a crime. She dreams of a truly democratic Bangladesh.

In a recent interview with Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), Nafsin reflected on her participation in the anti-discrimination movement as a private university student.

BSS: What is your perspective on the July Uprising?

Nafsin Mehanaz Azireen: The July Uprising marked an awakening of our generation’s collective conscience. It wasn’t merely a movement to bring down a regime, it was a historic moment where young people responded to a moral call to uphold democratic rights. 

I see it as a rebirth of -- truth, courage and dreams -- which will converge to lay the foundation for a new Bangladesh.

This uprising was a beacon of hope, a bold stride toward building a just society on parity with developed nations. It was a struggle for equality, a fight so that people from all walks of life, regardless of class, could live with dignity.

We marched with the hope of seeing honest, principled leadership in this country. That dream hasn't fully materialized yet, but our struggle was rooted in faith, faith in the people of Bangladesh.

BSS: As a private university student, when did you feel compelled to join the movement?

Nafsin Mehanaz Azireen: I joined the movement on July 15. Many private university students weren’t fully aware of the intricacies of the quota system. Even so, they took to the streets out of pure moral conviction.

When we saw the state brutally repressing our brothers from public universities using baton charges, tear gas and even gunfire … We knew we couldn’t stay silent. We had no choice but to join the fight. Those days were terrifying, almost indescribable. But staying off the streets wasn’t an option.

BSS: When did you personally join the uprising?

Nafsin Mehanaz Azireen: I made the decision to participate on July 15 and joined the protests from then on. My primary role was helping to bring others together.

BSS: Female students were vital to the movement. How do you view their role?

Nafsin Mehanaz Azireen: Absolutely. Female student’s involvement made the uprising more intense and powerful. I believe that when women take to the streets, history changes. We saw that in July.

They also marched demanding justice and raised slogans like "Tumi Ke? Ami Ke? Razakar! Razakar! "Ke Bolece, Ke Bolece, Shoirachar, Shoirachar!". Their presence was a bold declaration against tyranny. The government tried to silence and suppress us but they forgot that wherever women stand, history begins to shift.

In July, female students didn’t just speak for themselves, they stood for the entire nation. Women have always been part of the fight for justice and July was no exception. If political parties truly harnessed the power of women, it would revolutionize our politics. July showed that such a transformation is possible.

BSS: Did you anticipate that Sheikh Hasina would eventually flee?

Nafsin Mehanaz Azireen: Yes. On August 3, when I saw the immense gathering of people at the Shaheed Minar, I knew fascist Hasina’s reign was coming to an end. Her dictatorship couldn’t survive this wave of people. The people of Bangladesh had made up their minds. She had no place left in this land.

BSS: Is there a personal memory from the movement you've never shared publicly before?

Nafsin Mehanaz Azireen: On July 18, after a long day of protests and demonstration, I couldn’t return home. There was no transportation and no vehicle wanted to take me to Mirpur.

I called several people hoping to find a place to stay, but no one could take me in. I haven’t shared this with many. It wasn’t just physical exhaustion, it was emotional. To this day, that memory leaves me speechless.

BSS: Awami League activists have been bullying female leaders of uprising. What’s your response to this?

Nafsin Mehanaz Azireen: Yes, many of the female students who stood at the forefront of the uprising have faced harassment in multiple forms. In post-uprising Bangladesh, this should be unacceptable. Their photos and videos have been spread across social media to shame and intimidate them.

Besides, AI-generated images are being used to defame us. Street harassment has increased. This kind of bullying is happening every day. I believe the authorities must act firmly to stop it.

We also need to build social resistance. Those responsible should face legal consequences. We need to set examples so that no one else dares to harass women like this again.

BSS: What are the prospects of Bangladesh after uprising?

Nafsin Mehanaz Azireen: We were governed and oppressed for 15 years under an authoritarian regime. Our freedom to express opinions was denied. But the future Bangladesh will be different, it will be the Bangladesh of our dreams.

I dream of a Bangladesh free from corruption, extortion and injustice. A vision sparked by the July movement, where there’s no room for the corrupt or the exploiters.

BSS: Did you face threats during or after the protests?

Nafsin Mehanaz Azireen: Yes, during the protests I learned that police were looking for me. I took refuge at my sister’s house. The threats were serious.

Even after the protests, I continued to receive threats. Leaders and activists of the Chhatra League tried to intimidate me with death threats. But I never backed down. When it comes to justice, I will never compromise. I will continue to resist.

BSS: Private university students tend to avoid student politics. What are your thoughts?

Nafsin Mehanaz Azireen: That’s true. A lot of students from private universities plan to go abroad after graduation. Also, political activities are not officially permitted in private universities, so students don’t get the opportunity to engage in politics even if they want to.

But I think the July Uprising has made students more politically aware. Now, more students want to get involved in politics. And that’s how it should be; political participation is a democratic right.

Who else should engage in politics if not students? It’s the youth who will shape the future. If educated young people take the lead, the country won’t remain under the control of the uneducated. A better future lies in the hands of the educated and aware youths.

BSS: What is your vision of a new Bangladesh?

Nafsin Mehanaz Azireen: I dream of a Bangladesh built on equality and humanity, where the people will enjoy freedom of speech, simultaneously healthy political culture will be created for establishing democracy.   

I want a country where power belongs to the people, not to politicians. Where women can walk on the streets without fear, workers receive fair wages and students can speak the truth without hesitation.