Rebranding rebellion: Why ‘Bangla Blockade’ struck a chord
The naming of the activities in July was important to make them appear unprecedented to the long ruling Awami League. The name ‘Bangla Blockade’ created a sense of mystery about what was really going to happen
Awami League, having been in power for more than 15 long years, was well aware of the opposition parties' movement strategies and how to counter them.
So when the anti-quota movement began in July last year, the most crucial aspect was the strategy of the movement. People would eagerly wait for the announcement of activities for the next day.
But 'rally', 'protest', and 'strike' — over the past 15 years, these words had become all too familiar and synonymous with failed programmes. That is why there was a need for new words, new programmes, and new strategies.
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That sense of necessity led to the announcement of the 'Bangla Blockade' on 6 July, which began a day later.
Why the naming mattered
The naming of the activities in July was important to make them appear unprecedented to the long-ruling Awami League. The name 'Bangla Blockade' created a sense of mystery for everyone, including the government, about what was really going to happen.
"The Bangla Blockade was one of the most important programmes of the July Uprising. Essentially, this blockade served as a preparatory phase for the mass uprising. We introduced this new kind of programme to involve the masses. The courage and enthusiasm that people showed during the blockade later inspired them to march towards the Ganabhaban," then Students Against Discrimination coordinator Nahid Islam, now the convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP), said in a press briefing on Monday.
"Our goal was to enforce a blockade across the entire country — only then could we exert maximum pressure on the government," Sarjis Alam shared in a recent TV interview.
"We knew the Bangla word 'oborodh' would not work — it was too conventional. The word 'blockade' in English carried the gravity and it also resonated with the energy the youth brought to the movement. So we went with that. And since we intended to block the entire country, the word 'Bangladesh' was a natural choice. However, 'Bangladesh Blockade' sounded too long, so we shortened it to Bangla Blockade," he added.
How the Bangla Blockade unfolded
After Nahid's announcement on 6 July, the nation wondered what the term really meant.
However, he had already hinted that students from various universities and colleges would take to the streets at key locations in Dhaka, such as Shahbagh, Science Lab, Chankharpul, Nilkhet, and Motijheel. Outside Dhaka, students would block highways in various districts and university areas.
The next day, Dhaka came to a standstill. Students from different departments and halls of Dhaka University began gathering in front of the university's central library with banners and festoons, arriving in separate processions. Later, they marched around the campus and took position at the Shahbagh intersection.
One by one, the students then blocked all four roads at Shahbagh. As a result, severe traffic congestion occurred on the roads from Shahbagh to the Press Club, Banglamotor and Science Lab.
Shortly after, the students broke through a police barricade and moved towards the intersection near Hotel Intercontinental, not far from Shahbagh. There, they also blocked the road.
The Bangla Blockade was one of the most important programmes; essentially, this blockade served as a preparatory phase for the mass uprising. We introduced this new kind of programme to involve the masses. The courage and enthusiasm that people showed during the blockade later inspired them to march towards Ganabhaban.
Severe traffic congestion was experienced across the capital, with vehicular movement halted on several roads for hours. Highways were blocked in various parts of the country as well. The central programme was held at Shahbagh, but road blockades took place at eight different points across Dhaka.
After blocking the road at Shahbagh for over four hours, Nahid Islam announced that the same programme would continue the next day. Alongside the continuation of the student strike — boycott of all classes and exams indefinitely in universities and colleges across the country — blockades on major roads were also announced.
Outside Dhaka, the Bangla Blockade saw widespread participation from students of public universities across the country. In places like Chattogram, Rajshahi, Khulna, Barishal, Sylhet, Rangpur, and Mymensingh, students took to the streets and blocked highways and major roads near their campuses.
At Jahangirnagar University, for instance, students began occupying the Dhaka-Aricha highway early in the morning, bringing vehicular movement to a halt. Similar scenes unfolded in universities like SUST, RUET, KUET, BAU, and others, where students spontaneously took control of key intersections, paralyzing regional traffic.
The participation was not limited to just major public universities. Students from government colleges, medical and engineering schools, and even some private institutions also joined. This made the movement more widespread and less centered in one place, broadening its reach and giving it a decentralised nature. Young people, regardless of location or institutional affiliation, demonstrated a collective commitment to the movement's core demands.
During the Bangla Blockade, the coordinators clearly stated a single-point demand of the movement — to abolish the irrational and discriminatory quota system in all grades of government jobs. They also called for passing of a new law in the parliament ensuring that the quota for underprivileged communities mentioned in the Constitution be brought down to a minimum level.
Although the Bangla Blockade was driven by students, it resonated beyond campuses. 6 July is the day when the main opposition party BNP expressed its support for the ongoing student movement — calling their demands logical and justified.
The Bangla Blockade was a turning point of the July movement when the protests were no longer confined to the capital alone, spreading instead like wildfire from various university campuses to major roads and highways across the country.
Through the widespread acceptance of the programme and its emphasis on securing students' rights, the July Uprising found its way forward. It is the programme that paved the way for a student movement to turn into a mass uprising.
