Abu Sayed killing: Justice within this govt’s tenure

One year has passed, but there has been no visible progress in the trial of the Abu Sayed murder case, his elder brother Ramzan Ali alleged as the nation observed his first death anniversary yesterday.

Ramzan, also the complainant in the case, could not hold back tears after offering fateha at Sayed's grave at their village home in Madankhali, Pirganj upazila, Rangpur.

The day was observed as "July Martyrs' Day" to honour the martyrs of the July uprising.

Ramzan said, "My brother sacrificed his life while protesting discrimination and through that struggle, the people of this country have gained a new kind of freedom. Today marks one year, but there has been no judicial progress. People at home and abroad know that my brother was killed in police firing. This truth is not hidden. Yet where is the justice?"

He asked, "Whom can I share this sorrow with? Who can I go to for justice for my brother? I find no words to express it."

He added that the chief adviser, the chief justice, and other high-ranking officials visited their home last year. "Everyone came, expressed sympathy, and gave assurances. But we want only one thing -- justice for my brother's murder. That hasn't even begun yet."

He believes that Abu Sayed's sacrifice gave a generation the courage to speak up.

Stressing the need for constitutional reforms, he said, "The country has changed. The constitution needs changing too. Without that, fair elections or citizens' rights cannot be ensured. The light that Abu Sayed has kindled is the light for building a Bangladesh free from discrimination."

Meanwhile, Law Adviser Prof Asif Nazrul said, "We firmly believe that justice for the murder of Shaheed Abu Sayed will be served during the tenure of our government."

"To make the trial internationally credible, we are carefully considering every step," he said while speaking at a commemorative event marking the first death anniversary of Abu Sayed at the Shadhinata Sarok ground of Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur (BRUR), yesterday.

The event's chief guest was Shaheed Abu Sayeed's father, Mokbul Hossain. Twenty-one other family members of martyrs from Rangpur district were present as special guests.

The adviser said, "Many lives have been lost in the struggle for democracy, but the kind of courageous and ideological sacrifice made by Abu Sayed is rare. He is truly a Bir Shrestha [valiant hero] of our time.

"It will take us years to fully understand the magnitude of his sacrifice. The students knew that the police might open fire, but they didn't back down. That sheer courage laid the foundation of the movement."

Today, our ability to speak freely and question the authority is owed in large part to the July uprising, he said.

Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Education Adviser Prof CR Abrar, Liberation War Affairs Adviser Faruk-E-Azam, Bir Protik, University Grants Commission Chairman Prof SMA Fayez, and BRUR Vice-Chancellor Prof Shaukat Ali, among others, spoke at the programme.