The most-hyped death of a protester during the July-August anarchy against the Awami League government, especially the party members and the police, is surrounded by much confusion and lies.
Rangpur Rokeya University student and Islami Chhatra Shibir leader Abu Sayed died on the evening of July 16, the day the student movement coordinators planned to wage attacks on the police and Chhatra League members in a meticulously designed method.
Of the six people who died that day, amid intense violence triggered by rumours on social media by Shibir and the State Department, were Chhatra League activist Sobuj Mia and another in the afternoon near Dhaka College. Three others were killed in Chittagong, and Abu Sayed in Rangpur.
In another tragic incident, Shibir activists cut the tendons of over a dozen Chhatra League members in Chittagong and threw them from a 10-storey building, leaving them critically injured.
The protesters, led by Jamaat-Shibir, picked Abu Sayed to make him an icon of the anti-government movement, under the guise of a student protest against the quota system in public service.
The OHCHR also highlighted this case, as the policeโs shooting at Abu Sayed on the street near the university in the afternoon was filmed by TV camerapersons and reporters, raising concerns of police brutality.
Abu Sayed was taken away by his associates and was found dead when taken to Rangpur Medical College Hospital in the evening.
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People immediately did not get any other footage or photos of the series of clashes between the protesters and the police.
The UN fact-finding report, which is accused of bias, reads that police, in cooperation with Chhatra League men, attacked students with batons and sticks. Abu Sayeed was among those beaten. The police also fired tear gas and shotguns loaded with lethal metal pellets at the protesters.
When police started shooting at the crowd, Abu Sayeed raised his hands. While he was holding a cricket stump in one hand, two police members positioned approximately 14-15 metres away shot him with shotguns.
The UN concludes that he died from lethal metal pellets resulting from at least two shots in a deliberate extrajudicial killing by the police.
Case in tribunal
In the last 11 months, this case was first investigated by a judicial inquiry commission initiated by the prime minister, Sheikh Haisna, but the commission was cancelled by the Yunus-led administration. A police team was also investigating the case.
Later, the prosecution of the Jamaat-controlled International Crimes Tribunal, which was formed to try the collaborators of the 1971 Liberation War, took charge of the case and submitted the charges to the tribunal on June 30, accusing 30 people, including former VC Prof Hasibur Rashid, of murder.
The tribunal also issued arrest warrants against 26 of the accused and set July 10 for the next hearing in the much-talked-about case.
The prosecution argued that four top officialsโthe then-VC Hasibur Rashid, former Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md Moniruzzaman, former Rangpur Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (Crime) Md Abu Maruf Hossain and former Proctor Shariful Islam were jointly responsibleโfor the murder.
They, having given joint instructions from a higher position, killed the unarmed Abu Sayeed by firing at the spot through their subordinate and controlled accused ASI (Armed) Md Amir Hossain, Constable Sujan Chandra Roy and other members of the law enforcement forces. At least four people were injured on that day.
Apart from this, the other accused actively participated in Abu Sayed murder, attacking and torturing him from their respective positions. They assisted, forced, or facilitated the change of the security and autopsy reports to divert the murder.
Unanswered questions
However, videos surfacing later show that Shibir activist Abu Sayeed beat the police members with a cricket stump at one point of the chase and counter-chase outside the campus.
Footage also showed that blood came out of the back of his head after being hit by a brick thrown by his associates at the police.
When he fell on the ground after receiving some rubber bullets, his associates picked him up but dropped him at least twice near the spot before taking him to an unknown place.
Finally, Abu Sayed was brought dead to Rangpur Medical College Hospital after several hours.
Where was he for several hours?
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