Bangladesh's student protestors are now helping to running the country

Earlier this month, student protestors filled the streets of Dhaka, Bangladesh, in opposition to a controversial quota system for government jobs.

Authorities then cracked down on demonstrators, blocking internet access, imposing a curfew and issuing police officers a shoot-on-sight order. In just over a month, more than 600 people have been killed.

And as the protests escalated, the demonstrations started to become about much more than just the quota system, says Shahidul Alam, a photojournalist, writer and activist based in Dhaka.

The students then began calling for the resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

"The quota really was the tip of the iceberg. It could have been dealt with, but once it wasn't, then the whole tinderbox exploded," he says.

Unrest continued, and on August 4th, nearly 100 people were killed in a police crackdown, causing outrage. Just a day later, Hasina was forced to resign. Soon after, protestors overran her residence, and she fled the country.

The students who ousted Hasina are now helping to lead Bangladesh.

"We youth are not only the generation of Facebook, YouTube and Instagram," says 19-year-old protestor Mumtahana Munir Mitti.

"We also love our country. And we also love to participate in [the] rebuilding of our country"

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Rebuilding the government

Earlier this month, Nahid Islam was a graduate student studying sociology at the University of Dhaka.

Now, he is leading two ministries within Bangladesh's interim government. At 26 years old, he serves as the Minister of Posts, Telecommunications