July then and now: Remembering the month that changed us
This is a personal opinion piece published in The Daily Star (Bangladesh) on August 5, 2026, written by Maisha Islam Monamee to mark the second anniversary of what is referred to as the "July Uprising" of 2024 in Bangladesh. The author reflects on her lived experience as a student during that period, describing the anxiety of monitoring casualty lists, internet blackouts, missing friends, and watching student protesters — people she describes as resembling classmates and neighbors — die in the streets. The piece is primarily a meditation on collective trauma and generational memory, exploring how the month of July has become permanently emotionally charged for those who lived through it. The author draws a contrast between her current professional life and who she was during those events, framing July 2024 as a defining "before and after" moment for her generation in Bangladesh. Key topics covered include: Personal psychological impact of the July 2024 uprising Internet shutdowns and information blackouts during the events Student deaths and the transformation of ordinary students into what she calls "martyrs" The lasting nature of collective trauma and involuntary memory triggers Generational loss of innocence regarding political violence
- Attribution
- The Daily Star
- Publisher
- The Daily Star
- Rights
- Rights retained by the original publisher. Archived as a preservation copy for public research, with attribution and a link to the original.
- Persistent ID
- ark:/19160/sroxlsl3znfdvhceb5py2nn44te
Cite this source
The Daily Star. "July then and now: Remembering the month that changed us." The Daily Star, 2026. July Archive. https://julyarchive.org/sources/july-then-and-now-remembering-the-month-that-changed-us-8baeb92f.
Persistent identifier: ark:/19160/sroxlsl3znfdvhceb5py2nn44te
Free to use with due credit — please cite the attribution above.