In July 2024, students in Bangladesh capital Dhaka began protesting to bring back a rule that had removed the quota system in government jobs which was quickly spread across the country. The man who quietly played an important role in this protest in Chattogram, the second largest city of the country was Wahid Zaman, a senior journalist. At first, he was just reporting the news, but soon, he became deeply involved with protesters in various ways.
It started on June 4, when Wahid heard that students were protesting with placards. Like many others, he didn’t think much of it. But a few days later, on June 10, a video changed his mind. In the video, a brave student was seen standing in front of the police, attacking the protesters with both hands outstretched.
Wahid realized then that these students were serious and desperate for change.
In mid-July, Wahid met a student leader named Wasim Akram and his associate was part of the student wing of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) at Chawkbazar area of Chattogram city. Wahid asked him what his group was doing to support the movement. Only three days later, Wasim was shot and killed. This shocked Wahid deeply.
“It felt like I pushed him into danger,” Wahid said, “From that day, I decided to go beyond his job as a journalist and support as well as cooperate the protest from the inside.”
Wahid joined hands with the student coordinators who were leading the protests in Chattogram. Along with a group of 11 journalists, he helped plan events, provide media coverage, and protect the students. They made sure journalists reached protest sites early and tried to avoid any police interference.
But this help came with risk. Some other journalists accused Wahid and his group for supporting the protest and gave their names to the intelligence agencies. The situation became more dangerous. Some police officers of good will warned Wahid, that the students’ phones were being tracked and they needed to change their devices.
Wahid didn’t stop. He called a vice chairman of BNP who was in Dubai and requested for some mobile phones for students. Within an hour, the leader provided several Android phones to Wahid, which as soon handed over to students.
At that time, student leaders like Khan Talat Mahmud Rafi, Russel Ahmed and many others were constantly in danger. Wahid arranged safe places for them to stay. One student stayed at the house of Advocate Rezaul Karim, a lawyer of Chattogram Court, and another was hidden with his wife in a quiet neighborhood, Wahid Informed.
On August 3, Wahid received information from his sources that weapons were being brought by ruling party Awami League for their student and youth wing activists to Chattogram from nearby areas. He feared a violent attack and asked the students to get prepared for any consequence during the protest on August 4, 2024.
On the day (4 Aug, 2024), police and rioters of ruling party attacked protesters at New Market area. Hundreds were injured including top student leader Ridwan Siddiqi and Russel Ahmed.
As received the information that a final big protest would happen in Dhaka on August 5, Wahid and Advocate Rezaul Karim planned to help students to reach Dhaka secretly.
They (student) were placed in a covered van and sent on their way to Dhaka. The truck driver, after seeing Rafi, promised to get him to Dhaka no matter what. “He said if police tried to stop him, he would drive through them,” Wahid recalled.
Others were sent to Dhaka in ambulances or trucks carrying vegetable disguised so the police wouldn’t recognize them.
During this time, Wahid was also getting phone calls from teachers, lawyers, and professionals who wanted to help. At first, he thought they might be working for the government. But he soon realized the protest had reached every home in the country, people from all walks of life wanted to support the students.
Wahid stayed in touch with the student leaders every night through secret messages. He checked if they were safe, if they had eaten, or if they were in trouble. He also helped set up a system where his group would use secret codes when talking to the students to avoid getting caught.
Throughout the protest, Wahid worked closely with lawyers who protected the student leaders. In one case, they gave the students lawyer robes so they could escape from a protest site near Court Building in Chattogram without being arrested. These lawyers, Wahid said, were the bravest, they stood with the students even when it was dangerous.
Looking back, Wahid said, it all began with the death of Wasim Akram, he said. “I couldn’t just report the news anymore; I had to help.”
Because of people like Wahid, many student leaders were able to continue their fight and stay safe. “This movement didn’t succeed because of one person,” he said. “It worked because people, journalists, teachers, lawyers, and everyday citizens decided to protect the students.”
In the end, the July protest became more than a student movement. It became a national struggle, and behind the scenes, Wahid Zaman played the role to keep it alive.
