The price of unchecked protest politics

The real danger lies in the precedent that these token street victories are setting for the future. From public to private university students, from government to private sector employees—everyone seems to be on the streets, forming new protest groups with new demands every day.

- BY MOHAMMAD AL-MASUM MOLLA

and other platforms for voicing demands and shaping national discourse. Negotiation has given way to confrontation. Tragically, public suffering—once something to be avoided—has become a calculated strategy. Disorder is now the norm.

What we are witnessing is more than just a wave of protests, however. Since the July uprising, a troubling new trend has emerged. Under the guise of "mob justice," various groups, including students, have taken the law into their own hands. Empowered by public sympathy and a sense of impunity, they have often engaged in unlawful activities without accountability. What began as a broad-based movement for democratic renewal is now at risk of being hijacked by those seeking power, recognition, or revenge.

Is this the spirit of July? Did people sacrifice their lives for lawlessness to prevail? The movement was not led by students alone—it was a national awakening that drew strength from people across social, political, and ideological divides. Even many Awami League supporters took part, united by a desire for genuine change. Yet now, some groups are attempting to claim sole ownership of that legacy, silencing or ignoring the very diversity that made the uprising powerful.