Social media played a catalytic role in sustaining political mobilisation during the quota movement in Bangladesh. This study explores how university students used social media to organise and support the 2024 Quota Reform Movement. Qualitative investigation with thematic analysis using NVivo 14 was applied to coding and analysing the data systematically. The purposive sampling method was used to pick the most appropriate participants. In terms of comprehensive understanding, 25 In-Depth Interviews (IDIs) were conducted with active students across 10 universities in Bangladesh. In addition to data triangulation, 5 key informant interviews (KIIs) were selected in this study to represent the broad spectrum of the youth-led movement. The key findings include: (1) real-time communication, (2) hashtags activism for global solidarity, (3) active citizen journalism, (4) viral photographs and videos campaign, (5) rapid information dissemination for social movement, (6) quick virtual learning platforms, and (7) alternative to mainstream media, all of which facilitated political mobilization despite restrictive circumstances, though they did not culminate in a full-scale political transformation. This study offers important insights for activists, policymakers, and scholars. For activists, it will explore how social media using hashtags, viral content, and citizen journalism to effectively mobilise and sustain movements under restrictive conditions. For policymakers, it will help balance online freedom with regulation. Finally, in terms of academics, it will expand the Resource Mobilisation Theory, considering resources and skills.
Hossain et al. (Thu,) studied this question.