July 2024 is memorable for Bangladesh as it witnesses a sheer power of Generation Z, a unification of young people of Bangladesh and this period also constructs the fresh chapter of history of Bangladesh which also inspires the young generation of other countries. The struggles that we the students demonstrated, especially on issues to do with systemic injustice, showed a lot of courage and determination.
Our fight for change was non-violent, but the government's response was severe: The regular scarcities in the internet connection and energy blackout, gun fire every night and helicopters flying past create fear in our daily lives. However, all of these measures made us not to surrender or give up easily.
In this movement, we students played the most important part. We were not only viewers, but activists, directors, and critics of sorts. We were brave during the times that we were out there protesting, agitating and fighting for what is right even in the face of oppression and acts of violence. We were able to disseminate information even during shutdowns; As a result of the shutdowns, the movement operated on the coast and some underground channels.
We were not only protesting, but also engaging in activism in the course of this process. With this strategy, we successfully approached different communities, established partnerships and used social media support. This approach, as we can see, helped us gain quite a lot of support from all around the country. As we stood there with locked arms, everybody could see that the strength we had was in numbers. We discovered that a generation ready and willing to fight for justice could combat the well-rooted systems and get rid of them.
In other words, the benefit of our work was not limited to Bangladesh only but it stretched to many other nations. We inspired youth throughout the world, showing how the ''Generation Z'' is capable of becoming the major changer of the world. The images and the stories of our courage reached global youths and motivated them to demand what they deserved and fight against any wrong doings.
On July 36, 2024 the protest finally came to an end and we achieved our rights. It demonstrated our generation has what it takes to fight and the importance of youth voice in the society.
Moving forward, we needed the development of Bangladesh. Every day we engage ourselves with a vision to transform the society in a positive way out of the struggle that we have passed through. Today, our concern is to promote the principles of efficiency, transparency and effectiveness in the context of governance. We are partially involved in development activities in the community, campaigns for change in the education system, and support activities for economic and social justice.
We have certainly made our stand in history and this has defined Bangladesh as well as other regions. The spirit of our ention strongly reflects the power of youth movements that paved the way for activism that seeks to build a new fairer world. This level of courage and unity, that I have seen to be central to ourstruggle, shall propel the democratic movement towards a better tomorrow for Bangladesh. The culture of justice, equality and progress of our generation will make sure that the struggle of those dreadful days was not put to waste. Our goal is to continue the progress and establish a fair society, in which people can prosper according to their abilities.
To sum up, what Bangladesh's Gen Z did has become an impressive precedent for the whole world. Thanks to our courage and the tireless fighting for our rights, the new generation is on the rise demonstrating that youth activism indeed calls the shots. As we continue from here, we continue to achieve the goal of making the world a better place through the spirit of unity and the struggle we have displayed.
The writer is a student of Ideal College, Dhanmondi
