Drawing the Sense of Nationalism on Deyal Likhon: Who is Generation Z in Bangladesh?

Abstract

In July 2024, the student movement in Bangladesh made an international headline when　it forced the former prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, to resign from her position on August 5. The movement was primarily triggered by a specific demand from the student body to reform the quota system of the Bangladesh Civil Service. The system had preserved a thirty percent preference for the children and grandchildren of veterans of the 1971 Independence War, “freedom fighters.” The background to this demand is rooted in the context of Bangladesh’s economic growth, which sufficient employment opportunities for higher-educated youth have not accompanied. However, what factors contributed to the expansion of the “2024 Bangladesh Quota Reform Movement” into the “July Uprising 2024,” a movement that engaged a significant portion of the citizens and ultimately led to the government’s withdrawal? In this presentation, I would like to introduce my analysis of the wall paintings, Deyal Likhon, which were drawn by the youth immediately following the political fluctuation. What were the specific issues that incited their anger, what demands did they put forth, and what were their objectives throughout the movement? The emotional expression depicted in the murals represents the spontaneous drive of the youth, yet how it is expressed is imbued with the national ideology of Bangladesh, which they may have studied and learned in the history of 1971. Additionally, the contents display a pronounced blend of global awareness and nationalism that could be characteristic of Generation Z.