Protesters clashed outside the Oxford Union this evening during a panel discussion organised by the Oxford Bangla Society on the 2024 Bangladeshi July Revolution, entitled “The Student-Led Uprising and the Future of Post-Revolutionary Bangladesh”. The debate began at 6.30pm and features several prominent figures from the revolution, including Shadik Kayem, described as a key coordinator of the July uprising and vice president of the Dhaka University Central Student Union, and Hasnat Abdullah, an MP with the National Citizen Party, one of the central organisers of the Students Against Discrimination movement.
Approximately 400 people attended the protest and counter-protest. Four police vans and two police cars could be seen at the scene, with Brasenose College deploying a porter to guard nearby college accommodation. The protesters and counter-protesters on St Michael’s Street were separated by a line of police. Throughout the evening, the division between the groups moved up and down the street as the groups clashed.
The July Revolution was a mass uprising in Bangladesh in 2024, which saw Prime Minister Sheikh Hasna and the Awami League Government ousted after 15 years in power. Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, blamed the government for the deaths of “students, journalists and bystanders” in a violent crackdown on the protests.
Protesters included supporters of Hasnat Abdullah and Shadik Kayem. One protester told Cherwell that three groups were leading the protest: Jamaat-e-Islami, a far-right Pakistani Islamist political party; the National Citizen Party (NCP), a youth-led political party founded following the July Uprising; and Inqilab Moncho, a political platform and student group inspired by the July Uprising.
An organiser from Inqilab Moncho described those inside the chamber to Cherwell as “our July heroes”, adding that the purpose of their attendance was to “welcome” the speakers, and make sure that “everyone hears the voice of the students”. Protestors chanted “Inquilab Zindabad”, roughly translated to “Long live the revolution”, and a chant which essentially translates to “fake, fake, fake”.
Counter-protests described themselves to Cherwell as a “mix of people”, with many from the UK Awami League, the UK branch of the former governing party in Bangladesh – they reportedly arrived in Oxford from London aboard a double-decker bus. The group is the UK branch of the Bangladeshi Awami League, which dominated the country’s political system from 2009 to 2024, before being ousted from power in the July Uprising. Under Sheikh Hasna’s rule, Bangladesh was reported by Human Rights Watch to have experienced “democratic backsliding” and “authoritarian crackdown”. All activity by the party has been banned in Bangladesh since May 2025.
One counter-protester told Cherwell that “those people who are suffering in our country… we came to protest for them here”, another added that they were here “fighting for my country… we want our country back”. Counter-protests chanted “Joy Bangla”, which roughly translates as “Victory to Bengal” or “Hail Bengal”, and “Joy Bangabandhu”, referring to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first President of Bangladesh. Rahman’s photo featured on multiple large signs held by the counter-protestors.
As the protest came to a conclusion around 8.30pm, police followed counter-protesters away from St Michael’s Street towards their coach. Cherwell understands there was a brief altercation once the group reached the Ashmolean Museum with counter-protestors chanting “Razakhar”, a slur equated to “traitor”, at two students who’d been in attendance, and attempted to punch them before the police intervened.
The Oxford Union described the event as “a timely and powerful discussion on the seismic July Revolution and the transition back to democracy in Bangladesh”. The panel discussed “the prospects for a long-term return to democracy” in the country and how the uprising “redefined national trajectories”.
The scenes outside the Union this evening come just days before Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, otherwise known as Tommy Robinson, is due to speak at the Union, alongside other controversial figures including Laurence Fox, on Wednesday. Robinson’s appearance has already drawn significant opposition from student groups and activists, and today’s protest is likely to heighten tensions further, ahead of what is expected to be a deeply contested event.
