July Martyrs Memorial Foundation General Secretary Md Sarjis Alam has expressed concern that if those involved in the massacre during the July Revolution are not held accountable with strict punishment, even more bloodshed could occur in the future.
He said: “We must ensure the strict punishment of the perpetrators; otherwise, the Bangladesh we dream of could see even greater uprisings and bloodshed in the future.”
He was speaking at a gathering of dignitaries held on the occasion of Rangpur Metropolitan Police's sixth anniversary on Saturday.
Sarjis further emphasized that police officers who unjustly killed the demonstrators in the student movement must be brought to justice under Bangladesh’s law. “Aside from transfers, there is no other punishment for police involved in killings. Transfer alone cannot be considered punishment for crimes.”
He went on to say that despite the image crisis the police faced following the July Revolution, some officers are still working behind the scenes on behalf of certain parties or factions.
“False cases have turned into a business in this country, with some police officers either acting as silent observers or positioning themselves to gain future benefits,” he added.
Sarjis Alam said: “Those who supported the Awami League’s legitimacy by aligning with them in the past three elections and taking advantage of seats in parliament, regardless of their party affiliation, are accomplices to fascism.”
He said: “We do not want a Bangladesh where one party gains power to exploit others. The freedom we achieved with the blood of students and the people, and the vision of Bangladesh that our brother Abu Saeed showed us—no one should stand in the way of creating that Bangladesh. If anyone does, we will meet again on the streets. We are still ready to sacrifice our lives. This struggle will be fought on the streets, or it will end in victory.”
Earlier in the morning, Sarjis Alam accompanied Inspector General of Police Mainul Islam to pay respects at the grave of martyr Abu Sayed in Babunpur, Pirganj, and met with his family.
In the afternoon, Sarjis Alam held a discussion with students at the Independence Memorial of Begum Rokeya University.