Dhaka, June 30 -- The first day of July last year saw an unprecedented surge in student protests that would ultimately evolve into a nationwide uprising, accelerating the fall of the nearly 16-year-long Awami League (AL) rule.

What began as demonstrations over a court verdict reinstating quotas in government jobs swiftly transformed into a broader "Anti-Discrimination Student Movement," culminating in the "July Uprising" that drew in millions across the country.

Students initially took to the streets in outrage over a High Court ruling that overturned the government's 2018 circular, which had scrapped quotas for first and second-class government officers. That 2018 decision came after massive student protests and had repealed the contro...