The blood shed by the martyrs and the injured was not for just a single election, Abul Hasan, the father of Shahriar Hasan Alvi, who was killed during the July uprising, said today (27 December).
He made the remark at a two-day national dialogue on “Unity, Reforms, and Election” organised by the Forum for Bangladesh Studies at the Krishibid Institute Bangladesh in Dhaka’s Khamarbari.
Overcome with emotion while speaking about his son’s death, Abul Hasan revealed that his son’s funeral was not allowed to take place in their locality, and the body was not permitted to be washed in two mosques.
“We didn’t sacrifice blood just for an election,” he said, calling for the protection of the families of the martyrs and the injured.
During the dialogue, families of the martyrs and injured individuals from the July uprising expressed their concern about the juxtaposition of reforms and election, holding political parties accountable for this situation.
They also demanded the arrest of police officers involved in the alleged killings.
Before the discussions began, the relatives of the deceased and the injured were invited to the stage, followed by a moment of silence to honour the victims.
The dialogue featured statements from various participants, including Abu Bakar, a student who was shot during the uprising, Rabiul Islam, brother of the martyred Imam Hossain, and activist Monisha Mafruha.
Abu Bakar criticised the political parties for confronting the issues of reform and election against each other within four months of the uprising, describing this as “a failure for the nation and an insult to the martyrs and the injured”.
Rabiul Islam raised concerns about whether justice would ever be served for the casualties of the July uprising, noting that if one officer is involved in a killing, “a thousand officers” would typically be arrested.
Only 23 police officers had been apprehended in connection with the killings, he said.
Monisha Mafruha urged the government for swift assistance to the families of the deceased and the injured.
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