'Police shot Abu Sayed twice': eyewitness testifies before tribunal

A key eyewitness testified before International Crimes Tribunal‑2 today (11 November) that Rangpur student Abu Sayed, the first martyr in last year's anti‑discrimination student movement, was shot twice at close range before being taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead.

The testimony of 27‑year‑old Imran Ahmed — a former quota‑reform activist who completed a master's in history from Carmichael College and is the 13th witness in the case — was recorded by a three‑member bench led by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury. Imran has been appearing in the murder trial under a prosecution case that accuses some 30 people, including university officials, of crimes against humanity over the July violence at Begum Rokeya University.

Imran told the court that on 16 July at about noon, he joined a procession in Rangpur that moved from Char­tola toward Modern Mor. As demonstrators entered the city's Lalbagh area, he said, local Chhatra League activists attempted to block them with makeshift weapons but fell back when outnumbered. The procession then reached Begum Rokeya University's gates around 1pm, where police later intercepted them.

Without prior warning, the police began firing sound grenades, tear shells and launched an unexpected attack, Imran said, scattering students and injuring many. He recounted that Abu Sayed suffered a severe blow to the back of his head and started bleeding. Police had taken positions inside the gate while Chhatra League members Pomel Barua, Mahfuz, Arif, Babul, Togor, Fazle Rabbi, Akhtar, Akash, Masud Rana, Sezan Mahmud, along with leaders and cadres from the Rangpur metropolitan, district, and upazila Chhatra League, Jubo League, and other Awami League-affiliated organisations, were present, he added, and the university administration made no effort to remove those outsiders.

Among the university faculty present were Mashiur Rahman, Asad Mondal, officers Rafiqul Hasan Rasel and Moniruzzaman Palash, Hafizur Rahman Tufan, and staff members Nurunnabi, Noor Alam, Mahbubur Rahman, Amir Hasan Amu, and Anwar Parvez Apel. 

According to Imran, as students tried to force open the gate after 2pm, police and several campus figures, including named teachers and officials, hurled bricks toward the students. Police then moved forward and opened fire. Imran described how Abu Sayed stood with his arms outstretched near Gate No. 1 and was shot at very close range. 

After the first shot, he fell back a little but was struck again. Fellow student Ayan and others tried to carry him away; Saju Roy and others eventually took him to the hospital, where he died about an hour later.

Imran told the tribunal he believed that then‑police commissioner Moniruzzaman, DC (Crime) Abu Maruf, ADC (DB) Shah Nur Alam Patwari, AC Arif, Tajhat OC Robiul, certain university teachers and officials, ASI Amir Hossain and Constable Sujon Chandra bore direct or indirect responsibility for the killing. He urged the court to punish all those involved.

After the witness finished, defence lawyers representing 24 absconding accused and counsel for six present defendants conducted cross‑examination. Prosecutors on the record were Mizanul Islam, joined by Moinul Karim and Abdus Sattar Palwan.