As I stare at my ripped toenail and fractured toe, I think to myself, "These are mere scratches compared to what the students endured on July 15."

Despite the persistent pain, another stubborn thought gnaws at me, even in sleep – was this the university I had dreamt of attending? A place where those entrusted with our care remain safely behind closed doors, where student-led political organisations turn against their classmates, and where we are not even safe within the supposed sanctuaries of hospitals?

On July 15, clashes erupted between Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) supporters and students opposing the quota system in government jobs at the Dhaka University (DU) campus. The university campus became a battlefield as clashes and counter-chases lasted from 3 PM to 9 PM. Supporters of BCL carried sticks, hockey sticks, rods, GI pipes, and other weapons. At least five armed individuals were observed firing pistols across campus.

Around 12 PM on July 15, a large number of protesting students from different DU halls and off-campus students took positions in front of the Raju Memorial Sculpture. A section of the protesters brought out a procession from TSC to the adjacent halls around 2:25 PM.

I was following the procession when my mother called me, asking whether I was okay or not. I laughed and said there's nothing to worry about. But just moments later, a palpable shift occurred. The crowd of protesters began to scatter in panic. The reason quickly became clear –BCL activists had started hurling bricks, aiming to break the resolve of the protestors.

I saw a female student being carried away from DU Mall Chattar, not knowing what happened to her. The protestors gathered around the VC Chattar area. But after a minute of recuperating, the BCL supporters started to beat up the students there. They began beating the students in various locations as well, including the Mall Chattar, Fuller Road, Nilkhet Road, TSC, and the Kala Bhaban area.

I bolted, my heart pounding in sync with my rapid footsteps, every stride fuelled by the terror nipping at my heels. My left shoe slipped off, but there was no time to get it – the attackers were too close. With a single-minded focus, I surged forward. Some of the protestors stumbled and collapsed in my path, but I couldn't afford to stop. I lost my glasses amid the scuffle, but I risked a glance backward. The scene was a nightmare – students being mercilessly beaten with hockey sticks and bamboo rods, their bodies crumpling under the onslaught. I pressed on, fuelled by sheer desperation, each breath a silent prayer for survival. A student, desperate to stop his bleeding, pleaded for help, but I, paralysed by the moment, found myself unable to offer anything.

A friend of mine, Ragib Shahriar, was keeping me company during the procession. He was hit with a brick. He surmises his sorrow in his statement, "Many girls fell behind and were being attacked as well; some fell down during the stampede. I won't even sit for a government job exam, but I wanted to be a part of this important protest because the demands are logical."

Apart from DU, protestors were also attacked in many other universities around the country, including Jahangirnagar University (JU), Chittagong University (CU), and Rajshahi University (RU).

Prapti Taposhi, who was in the middle of the attack at JU last night, says, "The students of Jahangirnagar University, who are demanding quota reform, were attacked during their protest yesterday; thus, we went to the Vice Chancellor's residence to demand justice. When we arrived, hundreds of strangers supporting BCL and armed with machetes and other weapons attacked us. Other JU students helped us get to safety. As of now, we are still protesting."

Different student groups were constantly seeking updates from the students at JU last night during the attacks.

Tanjila Tasnim, a resident of Ruqayyah Hall, DU, took part in the late-night procession on July 15. She speaks of the restraints the hall residents faced when they tried to come out of their halls. She says, "We had to break the locks to get out of the halls. There were thousands of us. However, if we were attacked, we wouldn't have been able to protect ourselves because we didn't have anything to defend ourselves with."

Tasnim also expresses her relief that she didn't get hurt during the July 15 attacks, but she speaks about her exposure to the incident, "I was going to my hall, passing the central library, and I heard obscenities being hurled at the girls. They were armed, and they were almost as old as my father. Some of the attackers were as young as my younger brother; they did not appear to be students of our university."

"I went to my hall and saw a student whose entire arm was bandaged from the elbow. She could not move her arm. Students who are members of BCL were armed; they were pointing at us, showing derogatory signs. I received a voicemail from a different female student describing how one of the attackers twisted her right arm. One had a rod struck to the head," Tanjila added.

All injured students were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). The victims, along with the students who were with them, were also attacked in front of the hospital's emergency room. There were other instances of beatings within the hospital's emergency department in the evening. This created panic among the students as well as patients all throughout the hospital.

It is disconcerting to contemplate how university students can be subjected to such merciless treatment, especially when their educators profess to be their guardians. Universities have conspicuously failed to ensure the safety of students engaged in peaceful protests advocating for the reformation of the quota system, a system that overlooks the majority of the country's population who do not benefit from quotas.

Even within the confines of DMC, the protestors were not spared from violence. Student political organisations, ostensibly established to address the needs of students, should not serve the interests of any political party. Aligning with a specific political party undermines the very essence of these organisations.

The future of these protests remains uncertain, yet the students' unity endures. They continue to participate in blockades, organise rallies, and remain vigilant. If there is one lesson to be gleaned from the July 15 attacks on students, it is that student solidarity, reminiscent of historical movements, shines through in times of adversity. This sense of unity and collective purpose is a powerful testament to their resolve and commitment to their cause.

Azra Humayra is majoring in Mass Communication and Journalism at Dhaka University.