Abu Sayed’s death in police firing: Cops’ FIR far from the truth

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News Desk: Says the Rangpur student was killed in firing, throwing of bricks by protesters. Video footage shows police firing a weapon at Begum Rokeya University student Abu Sayed, who posed no apparent physical threat to the police, during the quota reform protest next to the campus on July 16. He died soon afterwards. But contradicting what is evident, the First Information Report (FIR) filed by police says Sayed was not a victim of police firing.”The protesters fired weapons and threw chunks of bricks from different directions, and at one stage, a student was seen falling to the ground,” reads the report, adding that classmates took Sayed, 23, to Rangpur Medical College Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead.

Sub-inspector Bibhuti Bhushan Roy, in-charge of the campus police camp wrote the report.

The FIR he filed with Tajhat police station on July 16 accuses 2,000-3,000 unidentified people, including BNP and Jammat-Shibir activists, of killing Sayed.

When SI Bibhuti was contacted and asked about the footage, he said, “I have just filed the case. The officer doing the investigation will verify it.”

In two videos verified by Amnesty International, at least two police officers fired 12-gauge shotguns directly at him from across the street. Sayed clutched his chest on impact, and the officers fired at least two more times.

Amnesty International used satellite images to geolocate the positions of Sayed and the police officers and found that they were at a distance of about 15 metres during the shooting. Also, Sayed posed no apparent physical threat to the police, Amnesty International said in a statement on July 18.

Sayed’s death certificate states he was “brought dead” to the hospital. The police’s attack on Sayed was reckless and unprovoked, it added.

Tuhin Wadud, a teacher of the university who saw Sayed’s body at the hospital said there were shotgun pellet wounds all over the body.

Razibul Islam, head of the forensic medicine department at Rangpur Medical College Hospital, said he died of internal haemorrhage caused by the pellets.

He added that an autopsy report will be prepared soon and refused to divulge any details.

Asked about the FIR, Deputy Commissioner (Crime) of Rangpur Metropolitan Police Abu Maruf Hossain said many non-students, including Jamaat-Shibir and BNP men, reportedly used firearms during the protest. The matter will be clear once the investigation concludes.

WHAT IS IN THE FOOTAGE?

Sayed had his arms wide open with a stick in his right hand. He appears to dodge a brick chip. Gunshots were heard. A man, possibly the one filming, shouted, “he got shot.”

Sayed again stretched his arms. Within a second, Sayed took a few steps back and sat on the street.

A protester rushed to Sayed, and grabbed his right hand. There were blood stains on his neck, nose and other parts of the body.

Amid volleys of firing, Sayed moves a few steps and lays down on the road. Three more protesters came and took him away.

Sayed’s killing sparked widespread outrage, with many questioning the justification of police’s use of lethal weapons on unarmed protesters.

In the days that followed, at least 156 people were killed and several thousands wounded in clashes with law enforcers, joined in by alleged ruling party activists.

Government enforced curfew to tackle the situation and in a major reform to the quota system in public jobs, the government on July 23 issued a circular, taking merit-based recruitment in civil service to 93 percent from 44 percent. The remaining seven percent will be reserved.

Noted rights activist Nur Khan Liton said police narratives in the FIR are unacceptable. The firing took place in broad daylight and it was a cold-blooded killing.

He added police should warn first and then can only shoot aiming legs when they have no other option to save lives, properties and firearms. “The problem is the government party men who get jobs in the police force do not care about the rule of law,” he told The Daily Star.

 

WHO SHOT HIM?

 

A police source revealed that a police officer named Yunus Ali fired a weapon at Sayed during a protest on July 16 without authorisation from higher officials. No further detail was available.

DC Maruf said that no action has yet been taken against the policeman involved in the shooting during the quota protest. He refrained from naming the officer involved for safety reasons.

He, however, mentioned that the police used a shotgun, which is considered non-lethal.

Maruf noted that expert opinions would be sought to assess the incident, and actions would follow if any rules were violated.

Meanwhile, a four-member investigation committee, led by Additional Commissioner Saifuzzaman Faruki of Rangpur Metropolitan, has been formed to investigate the incident. The committee was asked to file its report within two weeks.

Abu Sayed, the youngest of nine siblings, was studying in the English department at Begum Rokeya University. Sayed dreamt of joining the civil service, a job he believed would change his family’s fate. So, he joined the quota reform protest, said his family members.

Just a day before his death, he wrote on Facebook how he was ready to sacrifice his life for the cause.

His elder brother, Ramzan Ali, stated that he attempted to collect the autopsy report from RMCH on Thursday but was directed to obtain it from the court instead. He said the family had not filed a case regarding Sayed’s death.

Kongkon Karmaker contributed to this report.