Asif Mahmud is a prominent human rights defender and a student in the Linguistics Department at Dhaka University. He is one of the National Coordinators of the Students Against Discrimination Movement, a student-led protest that emerged in response to the Supreme Court of Bangladesh’s ruling in June 2024. This ruling reinstated a controversial quota system, reserving 30 percent of government jobs for descendants of freedom fighters, a policy that many view as discriminatory and politically motivated.

The movement, which Mahmud helps to lead, challenges a system where 56 percent of first and second-class government jobs in Bangladesh are allocated through quotas. The protests call for reforms to ensure a fairer distribution of jobs, without the political favouritism that has been associated with the current system.

On 19 July 2024, Asif Mahmud was allegedly abducted and tortured over four days of interrogation. His ordeal didn’t end there; on 26 July, he was taken from Gonoshasthaya Nagar Hospital in Dhanmondi by individuals claiming to be from various intelligence agencies, including the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch.

Mahmud’s experiences highlight the risks faced by those who challenge the status quo in Bangladesh, as he continues to stand as a symbol of resistance in the fight for equality and justice in the country.