Indian student leader Neha Bora has said Bangladesh’s student-led movement has inspired the youth-led protests spreading across India against the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Bora, national president of the All India Students’ Association (AISA), made the remarks in a video message issued on Wednesday on the occasion of the sixth national conference of the Socialist Students’ Front of Bangladesh.

She said the Gen Z movement currently unfolding across India had drawn inspiration from Bangladesh’s student-led uprising.

“Thank you for showing us the way and continuing to support the youth of India,” Bora said in the message, expressing solidarity with Bangladeshi students.

She noted that the movement in Bangladesh had been a struggle to restore democracy and voting rights, adding that the ongoing protests in India shared similar objectives.

Bora also highlighted what she described as similarities between challenges facing universities in the two countries, including growing pressure on academic institutions and attempts to restrict critical thinking and freedom of expression.

Calling for greater solidarity among young people across South Asia, she stressed the importance of cooperation in building a better future and defending democratic rights.

Bora has emerged as a prominent voice in India’s youth-led protest movement, speaking out on issues including electoral reforms, freedom of expression and the right to dissent.

Her remarks highlight how Bangladesh’s 2024 student-led uprising continues to feature in discussions about youth activism and political movements in neighbouring India.