July 36

A Bengali graffiti of July 36

In the popular culture of Bangladesh, July 36 (or 36th July) refers to the 5 August 2024, when the Prime minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country amidst the mass revolution.

Background

On 5 June 2024, the High Court Division of the Bangladesh Supreme Court reinstated the quota system in government jobs, and the quota reform movement began in Bangladesh. The movement turned deadly on 16 July. On 21 July, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court overturned the High Court verdict and ruled in favor of quota reform, but the movement continued with nine-point demands calling the mass killing in the movement, what protesters called July massacre. Protesters said they were "counting down the month of July until the demands are met", thus they counted 1 August as "32 July". The Anti-discrimination Students Movement, which led the movement, called for the non-cooperation movement from 4 August (35 July) and announced their Long March to Dhaka programme on 5 August (36 July). On that day, Sheikh Hasina resigned in the face of a mass uprising and fled to India. The success of the movement was termed by the agitators as "Second Independence" or "Rebirth Day" and the day as "36 July".

Popular culture

A graffiti of 36 July calender

Renowned personalities like Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, Akbar Ali and others spoke using the term 36 July. 36 July was depicted in different ways on the countrywide murals and graffitis made by the students, including a calender of July month comprising 36 days at Jhigatola, Dhaka.

See also

• List of non-standard dates