Abu Sayed murder: Parents allege ‘top officials’ evaded justice as ICT sentences 5

The parents of Abu Sayed, whose death became a symbol for the July Uprising, have expressed dissatisfaction with the International Crimes Tribunal’s (ICT) verdict, alleging that high-ranking officials and key suspects were spared.

On Thursday, the tribunal sentenced two police officers to death and three others to life imprisonment for the killing of the Begum Rokeya University student in Rangpur.

Reacting to the news at their home in Pirgonj, Sayed’s father Mokbul Hossain told reporters that the verdict failed to account for the roles of influential figures involved in the killing.

“I am not satisfied. Only two were given the death penalty, but many others deserve the gallows,” Mokbul said.

“The bigger officials have been shielded, and only the juniors were punished. Many of the true criminals have fled.”

He also pointed to local political leadership, alleging that former Bangladesh Chhatra League president Pomel Baruah was physically involved in the assault on his son.

"Pomel Baruah throttled my son. But he was not given maximum penalty,” he said.

“Many criminals have escaped. The major offenders have been overlooked. My demand to the government is to capture those who have fled and execute them,” he said.

The family’s grief was echoed by Sayed’s mother, Monowara Begum, who described the brutality her son faced before his death.

"My son was tortured. I would have been happy if more of the suspects were sentenced to death. We are not happy with this judgement," she said.

Mokbul indicated that the family would consult with their lawyers to decide on their next course of legal action, including a potential appeal for harsher sentencing.

Sayed was killed in police firing on Jul 16, 2024, during the quota reform movement.

Footage of him standing with arms outstretched in front of armoured police, moments before being shot, went viral globally, fuelling the mass protests that eventually led to the fall of the Awami League government.

Following the shift in power, the case was moved to the ICT, marking one of the first major convictions related to the July-August massacres.

The three-member Tribunal-2 bench led by Justice Nozrul Islam Chowdhury delivered its verdict in the case on Thursday afternoon.