July 2024 is one of the pivotal moments in Bangladesh’s history. What started as a student-led protest demanding reform in the quota system for government jobs rapidly grew into a nationwide uprising, culminating in a change of government.

Even after four decades of independence, Bangladesh has failed to establish strong democratic institutions, and this remains a major impediment to the building of a liberal democratic culture, says a study report of BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD).