July Journals: One Year On, Facebook Flares Up in Red Again

The month of July has returned—an emblem of unrest, defiance, and remembrance. In 2024, the calendar month expanded symbolically to 36 days, marked by turbulence and tension, driven by the student-led uprising that shook the nation. On July 17, in an attempt to suppress the people's voice, internet services were suspended nationwide. By then, social media platforms—particularly Facebook—had turned red with profile pictures featuring crimson circles, and cover photos displaying stark images of state violence and protest slogans.

One year later, the red circles are reappearing across Facebook profiles as netizens revisit the memories of July 2024. Among them is artist Debashish Chakrabarty, a prominent figure in last year’s July movement. At the request of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, he has illustrated ten commemorative posters under the "July Commemoration Program." These posters are being released one each day throughout July via the official Facebook page of the Interim Government’s Chief Advisor’s office. The first poster in the series highlights state-sponsored enforced disappearances.

On its verified Facebook banner, the July Martyrs Memorial Foundation has adopted the phrase “Roktakto July” (Bloody July). Its opening post reads: “Much has changed over the year, but the nation has not forgotten their sacrifice, their slogan, their spirit, their pledge. We pay our deepest respects to the warriors of July, who showed us that standing against injustice is the truest way of living.”

Facebook user Ramzan Ali posted, “July returns—reminding us of the time when we said, ‘We didn’t shut down the internet... it just went off!’”

Another user, Morshed Zahid, shared an image with the caption: “The generation that did not witness 1971 regards it with pride. But 2024 is their own legacy—etched with emotion. Respect to the July martyrs.”

User Mohsin Bijoy reflected emotionally: “July is here again. My timeline is flooded with memories—photos, videos, footage. Each scroll brings tears. Oh, those sleepless nights, the somber days of July!”

Images of martyr Abu Saeed lying on a rickshaw after being shot in the chest have resurfaced. These are being shared with hashtags such as #জুলাই, #JulyRevolution, and #36july2024.

A video of the "July Foot March"—which began from the grave of martyr Abu Zafar in Pirganj, Rangpur and spanned all 64 districts—is being shared on the verified Facebook page of the National Citizen Party (NCP), a group comprising front-line protestors of the July uprising.

At midnight, Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (BNP’s student wing) commemorated the July-August People’s Uprising with a program titled “Aloy Aloy Smriti Samujjwal” featuring the national anthem and candlelight vigils. The BNP’s official Facebook page also posted a bird’s-eye view video of the ceremony.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami held a live prayer session on Facebook for those martyred, injured, or disabled during the July-August movement.

On the other hand, leftist alliances without verified pages, such as the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), which has 21,000 followers, did not publish any specific programs. The “Rastrochinta” page with 51,000 followers, despite showing a banner of its seven-point state repair proposal, has not posted anything on the July observance.

Throughout the day, timelines have been flooded with newspaper clippings, fragmented video clips, and updates posted hourly.

In stark contrast, the verified Facebook page of the now-banned Bangladesh Awami League, recognized as a fascist entity, posted a satirical image mocking the July martyrs in the early hours of July. The post, which read “জুLie মানে ধোঁকা, চক্রান্তের অধ্যায় ও মিথ্যা” (JuLie means deception, conspiracy, and lies), drew heavy criticism online. Netizens reacted with irony and counter-slogans like “বিদেশে পালাও, ভারতে পালাও, হেলিকপ্টারে পালাও,” insinuating the escape of party members. In protest, many shared graphics replacing “জুLie” with “পাLie,” coining the viral line: “জুLie মা‌নে, পালাব না ব‌লে পালাই” (JuLie means ‘We said we wouldn’t flee, but we did’). With each passing hour, new satirical protest graphics continue to surface on social media.

It is worth noting that during the height of the uprising, the Hasina-Palak administration had suspended internet access in an attempt to stifle the movement. On July 17, mobile internet was limited nationwide. From July 18, all access—including broadband—was completely shut down. When then-State Minister Palak claimed on July 27 that “the government didn’t shut down the internet, it just went off,” public outrage intensified. Though services were temporarily resumed—broadband on July 23 and mobile data the next day—they were again shut down on August 4, just one day before the government's fall on August 5, which eventually led to the full restoration of internet access.

Since then, citizens have continued to express themselves freely on social media, using it as a platform to remember, resist, and reassert their place in the country’s democratic transformation.