During the July uprising, many of Dhaka's concrete walls suddenly began to speak, and speak powerfully. Words are few, but the thoughts they provoke are immensely deep. The pictures they paint in our mind's eye are distinctly vivid. Some speak of rage and rebellion, some of death-defying resolve, some of sacrifice, some of religious harmony, aad some of aspiration for freedom. There are others that speak of the state of affairs that we have been in for so long as a nation, while some pose critical nation-building questions. By the time Sheikh Hasina's government fell on August 5, 2024, Dhaka became the graffiti capital of the world. The artworks have since been published in a book titled "The Art of Triumph", which Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus has presented to the world leaders during his recent climate summit. This is only a snapshot of those feelings and thoughts that students, artists and even children expressed through graffiti in vibrant colours that still adorn Dhaka's walls.

The killing of student protester Abu Sayed on July 16 was a major turning point in the quota reform protests. His death sparked a nationwide outcry, drawing in people from all walks of life to join the movement. Since then, the protests gradually escalated into a mass uprising that ultimately led to Sheikh Hasina's ouster. Abu Sayed was a student of English in Rangpur's Begum Rokeya University. His impoverished family had all their hopes pinned on him: Sayed would one day pull them out of misery and give them a stable future.

Just 15 minutes before his death, Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdho, 25, was distributing water bottles among the protesters amid clouds of tear gas in Azampur of Uttara on July 18. As protesters refused to leave the area, law enforcers started firing at them. Suddenly, a bullet hit Mugdho in the forehead and pierced through his right ear. The pictures and videos of Mugdho's selfless act touched the hearts of millions and helped transform the quota reform protest into a mass uprising that eventually led to the fall of Awami League government.