‘Because of women it became a people’s revolution’: what has changed one year on from Bangladesh’s student uprising?

Five female activists talk about their lives since Sheikh Hasina was ousted – and how the country can secure lasting change for women’s rights

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n 5 August 2024, Sheikh Hasina resigned as prime minister of Bangladesh and fled the country, the culmination of a student uprising that saw the most widespread participation of women in street protests in Bangladesh’s history.

Armed with sticks and stones, Bangladeshi women headed marches and stood defiant against riot police and the military. Their presence became a defining image of a revolution that has rewritten Bangladesh’s political and social narrative.

The uprising led to the establishment of an interim government under the Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, which has focused on stabilising the country. But in the wake of the political shift, many women still feel they are not being heard. In May, thousands joined the Women’s March for Solidarity demanding the government take action to ensure women’s rights and safety.