DHAKA: Two years ago today, on July 16, 2024, Abu Sayed, a student of the English department at Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur, was shot dead by police. Video of the moment showed him standing in the middle of the road with both arms outstretched as officers fired several rounds into his chest from close range. Footage of his death spread rapidly on social media, triggering widespread outrage across the country.
Abu Sayed was one of six people killed that day, the first confirmed deaths of the anti-discrimination student movement. The others were Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal leader Wasim Akram, furniture worker Md Faruk and student Faisal Ahmed in Chattogram, and street vendor Md Shahjahan and student Md Sabuj Ali in Dhaka. The killings became a turning point, pushing the protests from campuses into a nationwide movement.
In response, the government suspended mobile internet around university areas and shut down academic activities at educational institutions nationwide in an attempt to contain the unrest. The movement continued to grow and ultimately led to the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024.
According to the official government gazette, 843 people lost their lives during the movement, with many more injured.
FactoPulse
