On 12 November, students of Jagannath University (JnU) requested a meeting with the Education Secretary regarding the transfer of the second campus project to the army. The students organised a protest by surrounding the Secretariat after the Education Secretary declined to meet with them. Some of the protesters were heard yelling chants like “Shob shalara baatpar” (All of you guys are frauds).
The presence of adviser Nahid Islam appeared to attract more attention from the audience. Nahid responded by saying to the students, “I understand your anger and frustration, and I am obliged to answer you, as it is because of you that I am here.”
However, it was later revealed that the slogans were not directed to Nahid personally; rather they criticised the authorities for “not doing enough.”.
Social media became overflowing with support for Nahid Islam as a result. His calm demeanour received extensive praise from online users. As of early 13 November, the hashtag #WeAreNahid gained significant traction across online platforms, with people voicing their support for Nahid Islam and denouncing the disrespect directed at him. Numerous individuals highlighted Nahid’s contributions to student activism, with the hashtag sparking wider discussions on the significance of honouring those who fought for students’ rights.