Abu Sayed stood with his arms wide open, a figure of undaunted courage against the backdrop of the July mass uprising. The movement’s first martyr, Sayed stood his ground in the belief that the men facing him were fellow humans who would surely not harm him.
On Thursday, as the International Crimes Tribunal-2 delivered its verdict on his killing, the court reflected on that tragic irony.
Tribunal Chairman Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury observed that while Abu Sayed stood fearlessly, trusting in the humanity of those before him, his attackers had already abandoned theirs.
“He believed that those standing in front of him were human, so he would not be harmed,” Justice Nazrul remarked before announcing the judgment. “He did not realise at the time that those people had become inhuman.”
The tribunal found that former assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Amir Hossain and former constable Sujan Chandra Roy were the individuals who shot the young man, sentencing both to death for their “inhuman” actions.
The weight of justice also fell upon other former officials involved in the tragedy. Former assistant commissioner Md Arifuzzaman, former inspector (unarmed) Robiul Islam, and former sub-inspector (Unarmed) Bibhuti Bhushan Roy were all sentenced to life imprisonment.
The court handed down various prison terms to 25 other defendants, marking a significant step in addressing the violence that claimed the life of the student who stood for change with nothing but his courage and open arms.
