Bangladeshi rap, memes helped oust Hasina — now they’re reshaping politics

Rappers Shezan (left) and Hannan before a musical event on the University of Dhaka campus after the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government [Masum Billah/Al Jazeera]

Dhaka, Bangladesh — On July 16, 2024, as security forces launched a brutal crackdown on student protesters campaigning against then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s increasingly authoritarian government, Bangladeshi rapper Massrur Jahan Alif — popularly known as Shezan — released a song.

Titled Kotha Ko (speak up in Bangla), the song asked: “The country says it’s free, then where’s your roar?”