How Shahbagh became the focal point of protests — and public suffering

Around 4:30pm on Sunday, an elderly couple in their 60s stood in front of the Aziz Super Market in Shahbagh, trying to catch their breath. They had set out from Lalmatia by CNG to reach Birdem General Hospital but were forced to proceed on foot after their vehicle stalled near the Bata Signal. 

"We heard Shahbagh was blocked by protesters, so we had no choice but to walk. But at our age, it's hard to go far on foot. We had a doctor's appointment at 4:40pm, which we'll probably miss," said Azizul Islam, the husband.

The blockade, enforced by the Jatiyatabadi Chatra Dal (JCD) around 3:45 pm, was in protest of the "negligent" investigation into the killing of Shahriar Alam Samya, a Dhaka University student and JCD leader. They demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible.

This was not the first time the couple faced such an ordeal. 

"When a public space attains national significance, no group wants to allow others to monopolise it. This sparks a competition to occupy and control the narrative surrounding that space. It's not merely about staging protests — it's about visibility, influence, and sustaining public attention. That's precisely what is unfolding in Shahbagh today."

Dr Sabbir Ahmed, Professor of Political Science, Dhaka University

Just last Wednesday, they had another doctor's appointment — this time at Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) at 2:30 pm. Traveling via Panthapath, they were forced to stop at Banglamotor as Shahbagh intersection was again at a standstill. 

That day, it was nursing students who had blocked the road for nearly six hours, demanding recognition of nursing and midwifery diplomas as equivalent to bachelor's degrees.

Videos circulating on social media showed ambulances and critically ill individuals stranded, unable to reach Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) or the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, as protesters barred entry through Shahbagh into the DU campus.

"This is a common scenario whenever there's a protest in Shahbagh," said Monirul Haque, an ambulance driver. "And these days, it's happening almost every other day — sometimes several days in a row."

A staff at DMCH, not wishing to reveal his name, said that in recent months, several patients have died after failing to reach the hospital in time due to protest-induced traffic blocks.

But it is not only emergency patients who suffer the consequences of this hardship.

Shahbagh is one of Dhaka's most critical intersections, linking key parts of the city. Roads from Shahbagh stretch west to Science Laboratory, New Market and Dhanmondi via Elephant Road; east to Matsya Bhaban, Paltan and Motijheel through Topkhana Road; north to Karwan Bazar, Farmgate and Tejgaon via Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue; and south to Dhaka University, Nilkhet and Azimpur. 

It also connects to Ramna and Kakrail, making it a vital artery between the capital's educational, administrative, commercial, and cultural zones.

As a result, when Shahbagh comes to a standstill due to protests, nearly half of Dhaka feels the ripple effect, and public suffering spikes.

Yet in recent years, Shahbagh has increasingly become the epicentre of civic activism and political demonstrations. For many groups looking to press their demands, it has become the default choice — despite the widespread disruption it causes.

This trend largely traces back to the 2013 Shahbagh Movement, also known as the Ganajagaran Mancha, sparked by widespread outrage over the life sentence given to Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdul Quader Mollah for 1971 war crimes.

Since then, Shahbagh has emerged as the go-to site for protests in Dhaka.

However, Shahbagh did not suddenly rise to prominence in 2013. Long before that, numerous pivotal movements in Bangladesh's history — from the mass uprisings of 1969 and the Liberation War protests in 1971 to the 1990 anti-Ershad movement, as well as various anti-communalism rallies, cultural protests, and strikes, moved through or gathered around Shahbagh. 

Its proximity to key institutions such as Dhaka University, DMCH, Dhaka College, BUET, the National Museum, and the Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) made Shahbagh a natural extension of student-led movements.

But the events of 2013 cemented Shahbagh's identity in the public imagination as a symbolic protest ground — much like how Cairo's Tahrir Square had long been important, but became iconic during the Arab Spring.

Dr Sabbir Ahmed, professor of Political Science at Dhaka University, said the emergence of Shahbagh as a key site for protests should be viewed through the lens of political communication.

"Location plays a crucial role in how a movement communicates its message," he explained. "Shahbagh's central position — connecting four major roads and key areas — makes it highly visible and accessible. It naturally draws attention from passersby, which is vital for any political campaign."

He added that protest sites tend to shift over time. 

"In the past, areas like Gulistan and Paltan were more prominent. But over the past decade, Shahbagh has gained significance — not just for its strategic location but also because it's now more organised and aesthetically improved, making it easier to hold sit-ins or rallies. It's also media-friendly, allowing journalists to cover events with ease and reach a nationwide audience."

An interesting aspect of Shahbagh's recent history is that, in 2013, the area was popularised primarily by activists representing a particular ideology, and for years, jokes and slanders often associated the space with that political leaning. 

However, more recently, groups with entirely different — and sometimes opposing — ideologies have been actively vying to claim the same space. 

Commenting on this dynamic, Dr Ahmed noted, "When a public space attains national significance, no group wants to allow others to monopolise it. This sparks a competition to occupy and control the narrative surrounding that space. It's not merely about staging protests — it's about visibility, influence, and sustaining public attention. That's precisely what is unfolding in Shahbagh today."

But why must every protest take place in Shahbagh, often at the cost of public suffering? Urban planner Dr Adil Mohammed Khan, president of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), believes this trend is deeply problematic. 

"Blocking roads and staging protests during busy working days disrupts people's lives and infringes on their right to movement," he said. 

"Yes, people have the right to protest, but when movements constantly harass the public, no matter how justified they are, people eventually become extremely fed up. And once public sympathy is lost, even the most legitimate movement begins to falter. Causing suffering in the name of protest ultimately does more harm than good."

Dr Khan also noted that the government's past responses have, in some ways, encouraged this trend. 

"By conceding to demands made through disruptive means — like the cancellation of HSC exams — the government set a precedent. That kind of capitulation sends the wrong signal. Now, there needs to be a clear and consistent message: Blocking roads and paralysing the city won't be treated as an effective tool for negotiation."

He further added, "Movements have been ongoing in Panthakunja Park for nearly 150 days without blocking any roads. Yet, there's been no dialogue from the government's side. The Chief Advisor of the interim government once said, 'Please send us your demands in writing', but we've seen that even submitting written demands often doesn't lead to action. 

"The government needs to take this seriously — when people see that formal complaints and applications bring results, they'll be more willing to move their protests off the streets."

Nabila Zaman, a nursing student who protested last week in Shahbagh, shared a similar sentiment, "For the past month, we had carried out peaceful, simultaneous movements across various districts in Bangladesh. But since those peaceful efforts yielded no results, we were forced to come here today."

Dhaka University student and activist Tashahud Ahamed Rafim added, "Nowadays, no protest gains real attention unless it causes public suffering. From the media to the public and even the government, creating disruption has become a tool to be noticed."

He also noted that Shahbagh is not the only venue for protests. Many movements happen at the Press Club, major rallies take place at Suhrawardy Udyan, and events occur on Manik Mia Avenue. However, protests in Shahbagh attract more attention and debate precisely because the public disruption they cause forces people to talk about them. 

However, Rafim added another observation. 

"During the Road Safety Movement [in 2018], we always kept a lane open for emergency vehicles and ambulances. Many times, we allowed passage for those with valid reasons. But there has been a significant shift in how movements are conducted — especially compared to the protests we had during Awami League's regime to those after 5 August."