36 DAYS OF JULY

In an unprecedented show of unity, students from rival political groups and contrasting campuses came together during the July Uprising. Students who would rarely cross paths, from madrassas, public and private universities, left and right, formed an extraordinary alliance to resist state violence and demand justice.

On seeing students being attacked, university and school teachers and other faculty members organised protests and press conferences to express outrage and support. Aklima Akter, an assistant professor at Kabi Nazrul Government College, risked her life for a student she didn't even know.

Garment workers marched after shifts, homemakers handed out saline, retired officers guarded buildings while students hid inside. Elsewhere, teachers, imams, rickshaw-pullers and shopkeepers formed a silent safety net, keeping the movement alive in whichever way they could.

Between July 15 and August 5 last year, parents across the country held their breaths waiting, worrying, and counting the hours until their children returned home from the protests. Some had their parents' blessing. Others went without it.

At the height of the July uprising, many hospitals turned their backs, some out of fear, others silenced or forced into complicity. In the heart of Jatrabari, one of the uprising's fiercest flashpoints, Safa Marwa became a rare sanctuary.

With hospitals overwhelmed or unwilling, two young doctors, Dr Worthy Jukhrif and Dr Hritisha Aktar Mitheen, created a makeshift clinic in their garage, risking everything to care for the wounded. They saved over 100 lives in 2 days.