Sanjida Ahmed Tonni- Photo: BSS

By Md Rasel Sarker

DHAKA, July 26, 2025 (BSS) - On July 15, 2024, during the quota reform movement, Chhatra League, student wing of Awami League, launched a series of brutal attacks on protesting students at the Dhaka University. 

A large number of those injured in the attacks were female students, many of whom were deliberately targeted and beaten by Chhatra League activists.

A photograph of one such female student with a bloodied face went viral on social media. It starkly depicted the brutality of the attack and ignited widespread public outrage across the country.

Sanjida Ahmed Tonni, a Psychology graduate of Dhaka University, currently pursuing her Master’s in Clinical Psychology, was the female, whose photo went viral on social media.  

She is a resident of Ruqayyah Hall.

Originally from Kalkini upazila of Madaripur district, Tonni is the daughter of Mezbahauddin Ahmed and Sahanara Begum. She passed her SSC from a local school and completed her HSC from Madaripur Government College before enrolling in Dhaka University’s Psychology Department in the 2019–20 academic year. 

She has no political affiliation and she participated in the quota reform movement as a general student.

On July 15, Sanjida was bloodied and battered during a Chhatra League attack near the Vice Chancellor's residence. Her injured face became a symbol of the protest.

In a recent interview with Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), Sanjida Ahmed Tonni shared her experience, participation and expectations from the July uprising.

Sanjida recounted how students from her college back home took to the streets on July 18 holding banners made using her bloodied photograph. In Madaripur, a district known to be a stronghold of the Awami League, students showed remarkable courage by protesting on the streets. 

When Chhatra League and police chased the protesters, a student named Deepto Dey (22), a second-year Zoology student at Madaripur Government College, jumped into a lake and tragically drowned.

“I will always honor and remember Deepto Dey. I later learned that my photo inspired many to join the movement. Shaheed Wasim had shared that photo. I saw the post on July 17. Because of all this, I never felt regret for being injured. Rather, I’ve always felt pride,” said Tonni.

BSS: When and how did you join the quota reform movement?
Sanjida Tonni: I had been involved from the beginning of July. But the movement gained momentum on July 14 after Sheikh Hasina called us "descendants of razakars." Around 10 pm that night, students began chanting slogans in protest inside the halls.
By 11 pm, students from our Ruqayyah Hall gathered at the gate. Students from other halls began heading toward the Raju sculpture. Our hall gate was locked. Around 11:30 pm, we broke the lock and came out. We didn’t even get time to change clothes. We went out in whatever we were wearing inside the hall.
With whatever items we had nearby pots, pans, plates, spoons, we came out to make noise. Students from all directions gathered at Raju, chanting slogans against Hasina. We, the female students, were at the front line.

BSS: Didn't the Chhatra League try to stop you when you attempted to break the gate lock? How did you gather such courage?
Sanjida Tonni: Yes, Chhatra League activists were present that night. But we outnumbered them, so they didn’t dare attack. It was unacceptable to be labeled “razakar” simply for protesting a legitimate demand.
We chanted, “Tumi Ke, Ami Ke, Razakar! Razakar!”, “Ke Boleche, Ke Boleche, Shoirachar, Shoirachar”. That slogan was our collective rejection of Hasina’s derogatory remark.
That night, students of Dhaka University and nearby institutions effectively showed Hasina the red card. Though later some tried to twist the meaning of our slogans, calling us “self-proclaimed razakars,” what we meant was exactly the opposite, we were not razakars, we were protesting Hasina's vile insult.
After hours of protest at Raju Memorial Sculpture, we returned to our halls. Despite fears of attacks by Chhatra League female leaders, we weren’t afraid. We were united by a powerful spirit. The students couldn't accept being mocked and insulted, so the outrage erupted.
We raised our voices and showed Hasina the red card. We told her, we are responsible citizens of this country, not descendants of war criminals. The women of Ruqayyah Hall and Dhaka University have always been aware of their rights and they could not accept her arrogance and mockery.

BSS: What motivated you to join the movement?
Sanjida Tonni: Conscience. I can’t stay silent in the face of injustice. I didn’t join the protest for personal gain. I felt it was a just cause, so I joined.
The Awami League had been repressing people for 16 years. From the beginning, they mocked the quota reform movement. It felt like they expected everyone to accept whatever they imposed. That indignation was also part of the motivation.
Even after the movement succeeded, I didn’t seek the spotlight. Despite going viral, I didn’t exploit it. I never had any desire for BCS or government jobs, and still don’t. I simply couldn’t accept the discrimination of the quota system. We didn’t ask for abolition. We wanted reform. But instead of listening, she insulted and mocked us. That’s why her downfall was inevitable.

BSS: You were seriously injured in the July 15 Chhatra League attack and your photo went viral. What happened that day?
Sanjida Tonni: We were at the Raju sculpture from noon. Chhatra League had also declared a counter-program nearby, so we anticipated violence. But the protesters were determined.
Around 3 pm, we heard students were being locked inside Bijoy Ekattor Hall by Chhatra League to prevent them from joining us. So we headed toward the hall to help. Near Surja Sen Hall, clashes had already erupted, many were bleeding from their noses, some hit by bricks, others beaten with sticks.
Then Chhatra League chased us. We tried to escape via the Registrar Building and reached the VC Chattar. There, they attacked us from all sides throwing bricks, beating us with sticks and iron rods, even using sharp weapons.
Some tried to hide inside parked red buses nearby, or behind them, but they surrounded us and dragged people out one by one. I tried to escape but was beaten with sticks. A brick piece hit me below the eye, blood gushed out. My eyeglasses shattered. Without them, I couldn’t see where to go. 
Somehow, I reached Jahurul Haque Hall, where a few brothers helped me onto a rickshaw. One of them, Raihan Khan bhaiya, was also injured.

BSS: Chhatra League also attacked injured students in hospitals. Where were you treated, and did you face any trouble?
Sanjida Tonni: I was in a shock, when I arrived at the hospital. Injured students were arriving one after another. My three friends Swarna, Tonni and Supriti ran around to get me help. Blood didn’t stop flowing from my wound.
Eventually, I was taken to the operation theater, but there were more critical patients, so I had to wait. I received six stitches below the eye, a sensitive spot. While I was still in the hospital, we heard Chhatra League was attacking there too. We had to sneak out through the back gate to reach my friend’s house in Palashi.
Shortly after, I heard that Chhatra League had attacked protesting students even at the hospital. That means if I had been a bit late, I might have been attacked a second time.

BSS: Did you participate in the movement afterward?
Sanjida Tonni: After July 15, I was effectively confined at home. I couldn’t wear eyeglasses due to the injury and without them, I was almost blind. I was also receiving threatening phone calls. My family was repeatedly asked about my political affiliations as if they were trying to frame me.
I had to sneak into hospitals for dressing. I couldn’t move without assistance. I was in a daze and in trauma. I still regret not being able to return to the streets then. But the support from Ruqayyah Hall and people across Bangladesh made me proud.

BSS: How did your family react after seeing your bloodied photo?
Sanjida Tonni: My parents never stopped me from joining the protests. But they were deeply worried. My mother panicked when she heard about the attack.

BSS: Why did you think the July Uprising became inevitable?
Sanjida Tonni: The fascist Awami League government had been repressing people for 16 years. They thought no one would dare question them. They mocked even the justified demands of students.
But people rose up. After July 15, the situation became dire. The public could no longer stay silent after seeing so much blood and death. Hasina’s fall was inevitable.  Finally, fascist Sheikh Hasina was ousted through a bloody mass uprising.

BSS: What did it feel like to see your photo used as a symbol of protest?
Sanjida Tonni: After the injury, I couldn’t see clearly. I was physically weak and mentally overwhelmed. I got calls from different agencies. I was shaken.
Later, I learned that students from my college used my photo to organize protests. Chhatra League, Jubo League and even law enforcement agency attacked them. Deepto was among those injured and died after falling into a lake. I will always respect his memory.
From what I’ve seen, my photo helped to inspire many others. So I don’t feel sad about being injured rather, I’m proud.

BSS: How do you evaluate the role of female students in the uprising?
Sanjida Tonni: Female students played a historic and courageous role in the uprising. They were at the forefront of the movement. That’s why Chhatra League couldn’t suppress it easily.
Chhatra League’s attacks on female students drew widespread public support for the movement both at home and abroad. Female students filled the streets with slogans. 
From Eden College, Badrunnesa College, Jagannath University, and other institutions across Dhaka, they actively joined the protests at the Raju Memorial Sculpture. Without the courage, dedication, and leading role of female students, the movement would not have spread so quickly and widely.
During those days of protest, the women’s dormitories became strongholds of resistance. Their determination and presence proved that women, too can lead the fight against injustice.

BSS: What moment of the July Uprising left the deepest mark on you?
Sanjida Tonni: Every martyrdom in the July Uprising deeply affected me. Abu Sayeed’s bravery and Mugdho’s sacrifice made history. July 15 is a day I’ll never forget.
This year, on its anniversary, I felt restless throughout the day. The protests in Madaripur and Deepto’s death left a permanent mark in my heart. My photo was turned into a protest poster. I saw Wasim’s post around July 17. These memories bring both pride and sorrow.

BSS: On July 15 night, students demanded a politics-free campus. What’s your view on student politics now?
Sanjida Tonni: Because of Chhatra League’s abuse, students were fed up and demanded a campus free from politics. They united to drive Chhatra League members out of the halls.
Since August 5, student politics has resumed on campus. That’s fine, as long as it’s not corrupt or violent. We want active DUCSU (student union) elections. Let students choose their leaders. We want student organizations to work for our rights not for party interests.

BSS: What kind of Bangladesh do you envision now?
Sanjida Tonni: We have high hopes for the post-uprising Bangladesh. The unity we had in July should continue. I want to see a nation that ensures all rights for women.
I don’t want to see rape or harassment. I don’t want women being humiliated from public stages. People from all classes, ideologies, and regions contributed to the uprising. We must stop looking down on others.

BSS: What should the state do to uphold the gains of the uprising?
Sanjida Tonni: This victory belongs to everyone. We must honor the martyrs and the wounded. The country’s interests should come before personal or party agendas.
We must end corruption and bring back laundered money. There should be accountability across all sectors. After downfall of autocrat Sheikh Hasina on August 5, 2024, the people of the country are enjoying freedom of speech and they are raising their voices about their rights.