Tales of 10 women killed in July uprising

Women played a significant role in the July uprising. In the past decade, no other movement saw such a spontaneous presence of women on the streets. From actively participating in protests to strategising and coordinating activities, women contributed at every level.

As law enforcement, acting on government orders, responded to the students' peaceful protests with lethal force, women from all walks of life—including students, garment workers, homemakers, mothers, doctors, and nurses—stood in solidarity. They took to the streets and remained active both online and offline until the fall of the regime.

Women not only led and organised the student movement but also provided support in various ways—medical professionals treated the wounded, while working mothers and homemakers supplied water to protesters on the streets. A report from the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs in December last year mentioned 11 female martyrs. However, in compiling this account, we were able to verify the identities of 10.

1. Naima Sultana

Naima Sultana was 16 years old, a tenth-grade science student at Milestone School. She had a passion for art, spending her free time sketching. During the early days of the quota reform movement, she drew protest posters and slogans at home.

On July 18, 2024, the day before her death, nearly 30 students and civilians were killed by police gunfire in Uttara. That night, as she was designing posters and chatting with her mother, she suddenly asked, "Amma, if I die in the protests, what will you tell people?" Without waiting for a response, she answered her own question: "Tell them that she became a martyr. My daughter became a martyr."

Her father recalled that her mother scolded her: "What are you saying, my child! We are raising you to do something great in life. Don't say such things. Why would you die?"

he family lived in a rented apartment in Sector 7, Uttara. Naima lived with her mother and two siblings, while her father, a rural physician, frequently travelled between their village and the city.

On July 19, 2024, at around 4:00pm, violence erupted near Uttara Adhunik Medical College as police and ruling party affiliates clashed with protesters. Armed members of the student and youth wings of the ruling party, alongside some police officers, stormed nearby alleys and opened fire indiscriminately.

At that moment, Naima was in her room painting protest posters with slogans like "Boycott Chhatra League" and "We Demand Quota Reform." She paused and asked her mother, "Amma, should I make pizza? Is there any chicken in the fridge?" When her mother replied affirmatively, she said, "Alright, I'll make it later. Let me step out onto the balcony first."

As she reached the balcony, drawn by the commotion outside, she turned on her phone's camera to record the events below. The police fired at her almost immediately. A bullet pierced her head, entering from one side and exiting through the other. She collapsed instantly, her brain matter scattering across the floor. As she was hit, she could only utter one word: "Ma..."

Hearing the sound, her mother and elder sister rushed to the balcony and found her lying in a pool of blood. Her mother fainted at the sight, while her sister's screams alerted neighbours and protesters below. They carried Naima to Uttara Adhunik Medical College, but she had already succumbed to her injuries.

That night, her body was taken to her ancestral home in Amuakanda village, Matlab Uttar, Chandpur. The journey was fraught with police harassment. They were repeatedly questioned about the body—where it came from, how she died, and where it was being taken. On the morning of July 20, she was buried in the family graveyard after a funeral at 9:30am.

Naima was a bright student. Her father said, "She was excellent in her studies and wanted to become a doctor. When her mother forbade her from joining the protests, she protested in her own way—by making artwork and sharing them on Facebook. When the internet was shut down, she called her friends and teachers to learn where the protests would be the next day so she could plan to join them."

2. Riya Gop

Riya Gop was just six and a half years old. She had only recently started school and would have turned seven this year. The family lived in a top-floor apartment of a five-storey building in Nayamati, Narayanganj Sadar.

On July 19, 2024, Friday, Bangladesh was in turmoil. Protests erupted nationwide over the killing of students. That morning, protesters clashed repeatedly with police near the DIT area in front of Riya's home. The family watched the events unfold from their rooftop. By noon, they came downstairs for lunch. After eating, Riya went back up to play with other children.

Around midday, another wave of clashes broke out, with police using helicopters to fire tear gas and live rounds at protesters. Alarmed by the noise, Riya's father ran upstairs to bring her back inside. As he reached the rooftop, he saw the helicopter firing at the crowd below. He lifted Riya in his arms to take her inside. At that moment, a bullet struck her in the head. She went limp instantly.

"She was shot while in my arms on our rooftop. There are no words to describe that moment. I don't want to relive it. She was our only daughter. We had just enrolled her in primary school this year," her father, Dipak Kumar Gop, said.

He rushed her to the nearest general hospital, where doctors attempted to stop the bleeding. Seeing her deteriorating, they advised transferring her to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). Blood continued to pour from her head as her father carried her there.

At DMCH, doctors decided to operate, warning that the bullet had to be removed to prevent further complications. Riya was placed in intensive care after surgery. Doctors told the family that the next 72 hours would be critical.

On Sunday morning, she showed slight movement, giving her family hope. Two more days passed. But by Wednesday, their hopes were crushed. Riya succumbed to her injuries.

Her father, Dipak, worked as a manager at a local construction materials store. Her mother was a homemaker. After five years of marriage, Riya had been born, bringing immense joy to the family. "She was always cheerful and mischievous, lighting up our home. Everyone adored her," her father said.

3. Nafisa Hossain Marwa

Nafisa Hossain Marwa was 17 years old, a Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinee studying at Sahazuddin Sarkar Higher Secondary School in Tongi. When the quota reform movement spread across all educational institutions, Nafisa and a group of her friends created a Messenger group to discuss plans and took to the streets daily. On the streets, she was a leader.

Her father ran a small tea stall. Their family lived in a tiny one-room rented house in Tongi, while his shop was a bit farther away. He would leave early in the morning and return home around 10 or 11 at night. Before he came home, Nafisa would already be back, so he never knew she was out protesting. Her mother had been working in Kuwait for the past two years. Her only younger sister lived with their grandmother in Savar. Although Nafisa stayed with her father for her studies, she frequently visited her maternal uncle's home in Savar and spent most of her time there.

One day, her father heard from a neighbour that Nafisa had been attending protests. That night, he scolded her. Then, on July 28, 2024, Nafisa told him she was going to her uncle's house in Savar. Since the protests had already caused HSC exams to be postponed, her father did not object. He figured that her uncles would likely prevent her from joining the movement.

With her father's permission, she first went to her eldest uncle's house in Dhamrai on July 28. Two days later, on July 30, she moved to her younger uncle's house in Savar. Even there, she stayed in touch with her friends over the phone and went out to protest daily. Her uncles forbade her, but she refused to listen.

On August 3, in the afternoon, she sent her father a selfie from a protest. Seeing the photo, he was furious and called her immediately. He scolded her:

"I sent you there to be safe, and you're out on the streets?"

After hearing her father's rebuke, she returned to her uncle's house at around 3:30pm.

On the morning of August 5, she got ready to go out again. This time, her younger uncle tried to stop her, but she was determined. She managed to slip out unnoticed and joined the long march alongside Jahangirnagar University students in Savar. Meanwhile, her uncle called her, urging her to come back home immediately.

At 2:30pm, Nafisa called her father and said, "Abbu, Hasina has fled."

Her father, irritated, retorted, "What does it matter to your father if Hasina has fled? Your father is just a tea seller. If something happens to you, who will take care of you?"

Nafisa reassured him, "Nothing else will happen, Abbu. Hasina has fled. I'm with the senior brothers and sisters from the university."

Her father ordered her to return home immediately.

But Nafisa replied, "There's no time to turn back now, Abbu. Whatever Allah has in store for me will happen."

Just minutes after her call with her father, as their group moved past the Savar Model Mosque area, the police, along with Chhatra League and Jubo League activists, launched a coordinated attack. Police fired shots to disperse the protesters. Nafisa, who was at the front of the march, was struck by a bullet. She was rushed to LabZone Hospital.

Meanwhile, her father called to check if she was on her way home. But no one answered. Moments later, his phone rang. When he picked up, a young male voice on the other end asked, "Are you related to her?"

"I'm her father."

"Come to LabZone Hospital immediately. She has been shot."

The news left him utterly shaken. Just minutes ago, he had spoken to her—she had told him Hasina had fled. What had happened since then?

Confused and panicked, he kept calling Nafisa's grandmother and uncles, but the calls weren't going through. He shut his shop and rushed towards Savar. There were hardly any vehicles on the road. He took rickshaws, one after another, to make his way there. When he couldn't reach his relatives, he called his wife in Kuwait:

"Why are their phones all off? Nafisa has been shot. Tell them to get to LabZone Hospital immediately."

By then, her uncles had heard the news and rushed to the hospital. From there, she was taken to Enam Medical College Hospital. On the way, due to excessive blood loss, Nafisa succumbed to her injuries.

Even at Enam Medical, doctors couldn't stop the bleeding. As her body was being taken home, her uncles were attacked again by Chhatra League and Jubo League activists near Muktir Mor. One of her uncles was injured by police rubber bullets. With help from locals, they managed to get Nafisa's body back to her uncle's house in Savar by 4:30pm.

After her first funeral prayer at 9:00pm, her body was taken to her father's neighbourhood in Tongi. She was laid to rest in her ancestral home in Ershadnagar.

4. Sumaiya Akter

Sumaiya Akter was 20 years old. She lived with her mother in Chittagong Road, along with her two-and-a-half-month-old baby. The protest site was right next to their home, near the Dutch-Bangla Bank branch. They could see everything from their house.

It was Saturday, July 20, 2024. The afternoon was tense. Her mother was preparing for the Asr prayer. Sumaiya had just put her baby to sleep. Suddenly, shouts, screams, and the sound of gunfire erupted from the protest site. Sumaiya turned to her mother and said, "Everyone's watching. I'll go and take a look too."

She stepped onto the balcony to see what was happening outside. Moments later, her mother heard a faint scream. It wasn't too loud.

"I looked around in all directions. When I looked forward, I saw my daughter collapsing, tilting forward. I wondered if it was just fear. I rushed to hold her. Then I saw—just like water spills when you press a tap—blood was pouring from her head. I screamed for help, 'Someone, please save her!' My sons came running when they heard the cries. But they didn't know what to do. They just kept crying and shouting."

A bullet had pierced through the balcony railing and struck Sumaiya's head. Her mother and brothers tried to stop the bleeding by pressing a towel against the wound, but it was no use. Her mother sent her younger son to call for help from neighbours. Hearing his desperate cries, people from nearby apartments rushed in. They carried Sumaiya downstairs, but they couldn't find a vehicle to take her to the hospital. No one was willing to drive through the protest site to get to a medical facility.

Her elder sister, hearing the news, rushed over.

"She pleaded with everyone. She fell at their feet, begging them to save her sister. To arrange a ride to the hospital."

Eventually, her cries moved two auto-rickshaw drivers, who agreed to take Sumaiya to Pro-Active Hospital. But by the time they got there, doctors declared her dead.

When the family attempted to take her body to their ancestral home in Mehendiganj, Barishal, they faced obstacles along the way. Ultimately, she was buried in Siddhirganj Pul area.

Sumaiya's husband, Zahid Hossain, worked at a local factory. Since her death, he had neither inquired about their baby nor maintained any contact with her mother. Her mother lamented that their two-and-a-half-month-old baby was now growing up under her care, abandoned by his father.

Sumaiya's father had been a respected community elder but had passed away long ago. After his death, her mother moved to Narayanganj with her five children.

5. Shahinur Begum

Shahinur Begum, 57, went out for a walk towards Kajla Bridge after offering Fajr prayers on July 22, 2024. She was accompanied by two or three other women.

Around 8:30am, she was shot in Kajla. She lay on the road for nearly an hour before her daughters were informed at around 10:00am that their mother had been shot. She was first taken to a hospital in Shanir Akhra, which then referred her to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. The person who rescued her transported her on a van. Upon arrival, doctors said that an immediate operation was necessary, but no relatives were present to give consent. Later, a button phone, wrapped in the hem of her salwar, was found. A call was made to one of the dialed numbers, and her daughter answered. She was told to rush to the hospital.

"My mother had money on her. She was wearing gold jewelry. They took everything. She only had her clothes left. The phone was inside her salwar, which is how we got the news. When I arrived, my mother was lying in the hospital. The man who brought her in must have been sent by Allah like an angel. Otherwise, she would have remained on the street for an hour with no one to help. I heard she was writhing in pain the entire time."

Doctors insisted on immediate surgery and an ICU admission, but the daughter struggled to secure an ICU bed. "I can't even describe it. Just thinking about it makes my chest feel like it's going to explode. I begged everyone for an ICU bed for my mother, but nothing worked. We only got an ICU bed three days later. She remained in Dhaka Medical College Hospital for one month and nine days. But she never spoke a single word. Only her arms and legs moved."

The daughter broke down in tears but then continued, "If we had gotten an ICU bed on the first day, maybe we could have heard her last words. My mother always prepared iftar for us during Ramadan. This year, she's gone, and the five of us siblings are left alone. Even though our father is alive, he's as good as absent."

Shahinur Begum lived in Shanir Akhra with her five children. Her husband was paralysed and bedridden. She ran a fish business to support her family. After her death, the family lost everything and was forced to leave the city, returning to their village in Cumilla.

6. Mosammat Liza

Eighteen-year-old Mosammat Liza came to Dhaka six years ago due to financial hardship, through her elder brother Mohammad Rakib. She started working as a domestic helper in an apartment in Shantinagar while also attending an all-female madrasa nearby to study Arabic.

The apartment where Liza worked was a 14-story building, and she lived on the seventh floor. On Thursday, July 18, 2024, clashes erupted in the afternoon between protesters and law enforcement, along with members of Chhatra League and Jubo League. Hearing loud noises, Liza stepped onto the balcony to see what was happening. As she stood watching the chase and counter-chase below, a bullet struck her head. She collapsed instantly.

Her screams brought the household members rushing to the balcony. They quickly carried her to a nearby hospital. By 3:30pm, news reached her elder brother Rakib, who was working in Gazipur as a construction worker. Shocked, he struggled with how to break the news to their family. He tried to reach Dhaka, but was stopped at multiple checkpoints. Unable to come, he remained in contact with those at the hospital. They reassured him that her condition was improving.

On July 20, after much difficulty, he managed to reach Shantinagar, travelling partly by rickshaw and partly on foot. On July 21, Liza was transferred to Popular Hospital for better treatment. That night, at 8:00pm, doctors decided to operate. The next day, she passed away.

Liza was the fourth among five sisters and two brothers. In her final days, her brother often spoke to her, trying to convince her to return home. "You're grown up now. Father and mother are looking for a groom for you. Come back home, sister."

In their last conversation, Liza had said, "Just three more months. By then, I'll become a Hafiza. Then I'll go home for good."

She never got those three months. Instead, she returned home permanently—but not alive. Liza was buried in the family graveyard in Deulashibpur village, under Borhanuddin Thana in Bhola.

7. Nasima Akhter

Nasima Akhter was 24 years old. In July, she had come to visit her elder brother's home in Science Lab, Dhanmondi Road No. 1, Dhaka. The Science Lab intersection had become a hotspot during the student-led uprising, with daily clashes. It was one of the main centres of the movement in Dhanmondi.

On July 18, her nephews, who were actively participating in the protests, were injured and stayed home the next day. On July 19, the entire household remained indoors. With the internet shut down, they spent time peeking through windows or going up to the rooftop to observe the streets outside.

That afternoon, they repeatedly heard the loud noise of helicopters flying overhead. Tear gas and rubber bullets were being fired from helicopters at protestors across different parts of Dhaka. Many people suffered from exposure to the tear gas. In the evening, when the situation seemed to have calmed down a bit, Nasima's elder nephew suggested to his younger brother, "Let's go up to the rooftop and see what's happening around Science Lab."

The two brothers went up, and Nasima followed them. Within minutes of reaching the rooftop, they came under fire. A bullet struck her nephew and then hit Nasima as well. She collapsed face down on the rooftop. The wounded nephew ran back inside, gasping, "Mum, I've been shot." The moment he uttered those words, he lost consciousness. Another nephew rushed up to the rooftop and discovered that his aunt had also been shot. The bullet had entered her neck and torn through her oesophagus.

Inside the house, there was chaos. Rehana Akhter, Nasima's sister-in-law, was beside herself with panic—one moment she was tending to her wounded son, and the next, she was hearing that her sister-in-law had been shot on the rooftop. She quickly called their driver. They rushed both of them to the nearest Popular Hospital. The two were admitted to the ICU. The son survived, but Nasima passed away the next day.

The following day, her body was taken to her family home in Maijdee, Noakhali. She was buried in the family graveyard in the nearby village of Monpura.

Nasima had studied in a madrasa until class eight but could not continue further. She was the youngest of four sisters and three brothers.

8. Rita Akhter

Rita Akhter was only 17 years old. Her dream was to become a doctor and lift her impoverished parents out of hardship. But before she could achieve that dream, she was taken from this world.

Her family lived in Talkhur village, under the Punit Union of Kalai Upazila in Joypurhat. Her father, Ashraf Ali, was a rickshaw puller; her mother, Rehena Bibi, was a homemaker. Rita was the middle child among three siblings. Her elder brother had not studied much and now worked as a day labourer. Her younger brother had just completed primary school. Rita was the family's sole hope for a better future. She often told her parents, "One day, I'll become a doctor and take care of our family."

Determined to give their daughter a chance, her parents did everything within their means. Her mother worked as a domestic help, using her meagre earnings to cover Rita's education expenses.

After Rita passed her secondary exams, her father moved the family to Dhaka so she could attend a good urban college. She was admitted to the science department at Mirpur Duaripara Government College. To make things easier for her, her father rented a small, low-cost home in Mirpur-2, H Block, near the college. He continued pulling rickshaws in Mirpur, while her mother worked in nearby houses.

On the morning of August 5, her father left for work with his rickshaw, and her mother went to her job. Around 11 AM, Rita slipped out of the house to join the March to Dhaka protest.

When her mother returned home at noon, she found the house empty. Frantic, she began searching for her daughter. After looking everywhere in the neighbourhood and finding no trace of Rita, she started checking hospital morgues.

She ran from one medical college to another, desperately searching for her daughter. Finally, after 10:00pm, at the morgue of Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, she found Rita's body. The clothes confirmed it was her daughter.

Eyewitnesses later told the family that a bullet had entered one side of Rita's head and exited the other. She had been taken to Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, but due to delays in receiving emergency treatment, she did not survive. By the time doctors attended to her, she had already passed away.

The next day, her devastated parents took her body back to their village and buried her in the local graveyard.

Rita had always been an active student. Alongside her studies, she participated in extracurricular activities. She was known for her beautiful recitation of the Quran and her singing. During her secondary school years, she had won multiple prizes in annual sports competitions.

9. Maya Islam

July 19, 2024. It was a Friday. After lunch, little Musa, just seven years old, begged his father for ice cream. His father said, "I'm heading out now. Come with me, get your ice cream, and then go back home."

They lived in a rented apartment in Rampura's Banasree area. Musa held his father's hand as they went downstairs. His grandmother, Maya Islam, followed them to bring him back home after he got his ice cream.

Just as they were returning, they noticed a clash between the police and protestors on the street ahead. Gunfire erupted. Maya tried to hurry back inside with her grandson, but at that moment, a bullet struck Musa's head. The same bullet passed through his skull and hit his grandmother in the lower abdomen.

Wounded, Maya tried to climb back up to the second floor but collapsed unconscious on the stairs. Neighbours rushed in and carried both of them to a nearby hospital in Banasree.

Her husband, Mahbub Islam, later recalled, "At first, we only knew our grandson had been shot. We thought someone had taken him to the hospital. It wasn't until five or six hours later that we got news and rushed to the hospital, only to see this disaster unfold. The doctors treated her and assured us that she would recover. They even told us to take her home. But the next day, her condition deteriorated. We rushed her to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, but she didn't make it."

While her grandson was still fighting for his life in the hospital, Maya's body was taken back to their ancestral home in Mirzapur, Tangail. She was buried in the family graveyard.

A few days later, doctors informed the family that Musa needed advanced treatment abroad. Many individuals and organisations came forward with financial assistance. Eventually, Musa was taken to Singapore for treatment. As of 4 March, the latest updates confirmed that he was still receiving medical care there.

Maya Islam was about 60 years old. She and Mahbub had a son and a daughter. Their son, Mostafizur Rahman, ran an electronics shop in Malibagh, where his father also helped out. The family's livelihood depended on the shop's earnings.

10. Meherun Nessa Tanha

Meherun Nessa Tanha was 22 years old, a third-year honours student at Hazrat Shah Ali Women's College in Mirpur. Her father, Mosharraf Hossain, was a driver, and her mother, Asma Akter, a homemaker. Alongside her studies, Meherun worked part-time to support herself. Their family lived in Mirpur.

Initially, Meherun was not deeply involved in street protests. But on July 19, her cousin Rabbi joined a demonstration on Mirpur Mazar Road after Jumu'ah prayers. During the protest, police shot and killed him. The brutality did not end there—Rabbi's body was withheld at the medical morgue, with the family facing unnecessary hurdles before they were allowed to take it three days later.

Furious over her cousin's killing, Meherun and her younger brother Tarif took to the streets, demanding justice. She held up a placard that read, "I will not let my brother's blood go in vain."

Her father recalled, "We could not keep them inside the house no matter how hard we tried. They would say, 'Our brother is a martyr. We cannot just sit at home. We must go out and demand justice for his killing.' And every day, they would step out."

On August 5, after Sheikh Hasina fled, people across the country took to the streets in celebration. Meherun and her younger brother also joined the jubilant rallies. After attending the festivities near the Ganabhaban and the Jatiya Sangsad, Meherun started heading home around 7:30pm, while her brother remained outside.

As she reached Mirpur-13's Notun Bazar, she found herself near ongoing clashes between students, the public, and the police. She managed to slip past the violence and get inside her home safely. Once in her room, she called her brother to warn him about the unrest, advising him to take a different route home.

But as she stood near the window, a bullet struck her. She collapsed instantly.

She was rushed to the nearest hospital, where doctors pronounced her dead. That night, around 11:00pm, Meherun was laid to rest at the Purbabaistake graveyard in Mirpur.

Their ancestral home was in Harirampur, Manikganj.