At around 3 pm on July 16, 2024, a Facebook call by Md. Wasim Akram, a third-year student and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) leader, urged people to gather at Sholashahar. Within hours, Akram was shot in the Muradpur area, igniting widespread anger and leading to a massive uprising in Chattogram.
Akram's death became a rallying point for the anti-quota movement, drawing students, young people, and citizens from across Chattogram. The movement intensified, facing repression from armed groups and police. Despite internet shutdowns, the protests grew stronger, culminating in the regime's fall and the flight of Sheikh Hasina on August 5.
Akram's comrades, including Chattogram Metropolitan Chhatra Dal Joint Convener Salauddin Shahed and Chittagong University unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal General Secretary Abdullah Al Noman, played key roles in the movement. They recounted the events leading to Akram's death and the brutal attacks by police and ruling party activists.
A month after Akram's death, his mother filed a murder case accusing Sheikh Hasina and others. A case was also filed with the International Crimes Tribunal over the deaths of 11 people, including Akram. Formal charges were submitted against 22 people, including former ministers and mayors.
Akram, a resident of Pekua upazila of Cox’s Bazar, was academically meritorious, passing his third-year honours examinations with first-class posthumously. His father demanded justice, stating, 'Those who killed my son should be brought to justice quickly.'
