Wednesday marks the first martyrdom anniversary of Abu Sayed, a student of Rangpur Begum Rokeya University (BRU), who was shot dead during the anti-discrimination movement in 2024.
The day is being observed as July Shaheed Day.
BRU is commemorating the first martyrdom anniversary of student Abu Sayed in a befitting manner. Teachers and students will visit Abu Sayed’s grave in the morning and then bring out a procession. Later, a discussion will be held on campus commemorating the day.
Abu Sayed’s family has organized special prayers, food distribution among the needy and a discussion to commemorate the martyrdom of their loved one.
How Abu Sayed was killed
Abu Sayed was at the forefront of the protesters when clashes broke out between police and quota reform protesters in front of his campus on July 16, 2024.
Split footage of the clash shows other protesters standing behind Sayed while the police were stationed directly in front of him.
As per the footage, it was these police officers who fired rubber bullets, injuring the 25-year-old student of the English Department at Begum Rokeya University.
Local students said that a procession was brought out from Rangpur Zilla School on the day. Students from various colleges and schools participated in it. Then, when the procession marched towards BRU, ordinary students and people from all walks of life also joined it. When the procession reached the main gate of BRU, some pro-Awami League teachers and staff of the university carried out multiple attacks on the students.
When the university students participating in the movement resisted, the police, siding with the attackers, fired bullets, rubber bullets, and tear gas at the students, witnesses said.
At that time, Abu Sayed stood alone in front of the police and footages show he was meters away from them. After he was shot, Abu Sayed was taken to a nearby hospital where the doctors on duty declared him dead on arrival. At that time, blood was coming out of Abu Sayed's mouth, and there were bullet and rubber bullet wounds all over his body, according to witnesses.
What eyewitnesses and fellow protesters say
One of the former coordinators of the student movement and a student of BRU, Shahariar Sohag, said that he actively participated in the July movement with Abu Sayed. The day Abu Sayed was shot, he was also shot and narrowly escaped death.
Sohag said he had to stay in hospital for a long time. He said that at the beginning, only a handful of students took part in the daily protests. The president of BRU unit Chhatra League and general secretary used to threaten them often.
However, the movement started gaining momentum and gradually spread to all the educational institutions of Rangpur. After July 5, thousands of students from the city would come to the BRU with processions. University teachers also started joining the protest.
Another student Zebin said: “I was also with Abu Sayed during the protests. His boundless courage gave me strength to join the movement. When the police fired at him, I was a few yards away.
Samajtantrik Student Front leader Raju Bashfor said he along with 3 to 4 others rushed to the spot and took Abu Sayed to Rangpur Medical College Hospital on a rickshaw. The duty doctor sent him to a ward immediately. Soon, the senior doctors were called in. However, he was declared dead on arrival by one of the doctors.
Another student leader Arefin Titu alleged Abu Sayed was killed due to indiscriminate firing by the police.
“We took his body out for a procession but the police snatched his body away from us,” he said.
Professor at the Department of Bangla at the BRU, Tuhin Wadud, termed Abu Sayed’s death as a cold headed-murder.
Abu Sayed’s mother, Monowara Begum, told this correspondent that the police officials who killed her son are still in the force and are moving freely. She alleged that local Awami League men pressurized them to bury Abu Sayed quickly after the incident.
Abu Sayed’s father Makbul Hossain expressed disappointment in the sloth in the proceedings of the case. He demanded justice for his son’s murder.
Abu Said's elder brother Ramzan Ali said: “We want a fair and just trial for the murder of my brother. Along with this, we must also see that no innocent person is punished for the murder.”
