Why was Abu Sayed of Rangpur’s Begum Rokeya University shot down by police? He was standing alone, totally unarmed with arms stretched out, holding no weapons but a stick. Nor was he engaged in any violent activities. When he was shot, he posed no threat to police and was standing quite a distance away, which an eye-estimate suggests could be about 50-60 feet. Yet police shot him in cold blood.
Earlier, we saw the home minister, an otherwise soft-spoken person, explain several times how the police were exercising restraint. He claimed repeatedly that police had been instructed not to indulge in any violence and also not to engage the demonstrators in a way that may lead to violence. Yet police shot an unarmed student who stood all by himself showing that he posed no danger.
Sayed was one of the nine children of very poor parents. He was the youngest and the brightest of nine brothers and sisters. When he got admitted to Begum Rokeya University, the first one ever from his family, his siblings were so elated that they all contributed to his studies, even by saving from their own educational expenses. His very old and ill father said they all hoped that Abu Sayed would change the fate of the family after joining the government service, which was his life’s sole aim. This made him interested in the quota reforms, and hence he joined the protests. His story clearly shows that his desire was only to reform the quota system so that his chances of success would increase. There was no other agenda as is now being alleged.
As reported in this paper, at 12:37pm on Monday, the day before his murder, Sayed shared a photo card of martyred Professor Shamsuzzoha, a young Rajshahi University teacher who was shot dead while trying to protect student protesters in 1969. He wrote, “Sir, we desperately need you right now … Your legacy is our inspiration. We are enlightened by your ideals”. Prof Shamsuzzoha became one of the heroes of student movement inspiring us in the lead-up to our Liberation War. As someone dedicated to our freedom and progress, he also served as a source of inspiration in the following five decades of our independence.
Sayed was riddled with shotgun pellets causing his death. A post-mortem has been done but result has not yet been made public. Meanwhile, he has been buried.
We are heartened by the PM’s promise of a judicial probe. But that will likely take time. We request a separate and immediate enquiry into Sayed’s killing and exemplary actions against the guilty. We are no stranger to killings in demonstrations before. But such a singular killing that looked very much like a targeted one is something completely new. That is why it needs immediate investigation.
Nothing, absolutely nothing, can justify this action except the arrogance and assured impunity that police have known to be enjoying over the years. Meanwhile, an apology from the police and the home ministry to the family may go a long way to assuage the feeling of outrage that presently exists.
