Revolutionary Council conference: July uprising victims' family demand death sentence for Hasina

Family members of the students who were martyred in the July uprising in the capital's Uttara yesterday demanded that former prime minister Sheikh Hasina be brought back to the country and hanged for killing their children.

They made the demand at a conference organised by the National Revolutionary Council, Chotrisher Shahoshini and Global Knowledge Foundation at the Shaheed Mughda Mancha in Azampur, Uttara.

They also said the interim government had forgotten the martyrs as no one had contacted their families.

Members of police involved in the murders were not being arrested, while many of the accused were roaming freely, they claimed.

Martyred Shahriar Hasan Alvi's father, Abul Hasan, said, "More than 2,000 of our children have been martyred. Only the families of the martyr know what it's like to see the body of a son shot in front of their parents. Our tears will never stop. Yet I was threatened in this situation. I was not allowed to buy the 'khatiya' used to carry the dead from two mosques."

He said, "I want to humbly ask the advisers to stand by the martyr's family and treat the injured. You should bring the murderers of our children to justice. Bring the murderer Sheikh Hasina back to the country and execute her."

Ainun Nahar, mother of Shaheed Naima Sultana, who inaugurated the event, said, "I did not let my daughter go to the procession. I kept her at home. But even at home, I could not save my daughter."

At one point, Ainun Nahar said, "I can't hold back my tears when I see the police, thinking about how much pain they have caused my daughter."

Martyred Mir Mugdho's father Mir Mustafizur Rahman said, "The July movement was initially a movement to achieve rational rights. No democratic government can open fire on a rational movement. I hope this government will make the best possible arrangements for the treatment of the injured. Justice should be served for killing students by targeting the perpetrators."

Shaheed Sifat Hasan's father said, "My son Sifat was martyred on 20 July in Mirpur-10. This government cannot make up for the deaths of our children with money. We only want the murderers of our children to be tried."

Other family members of martyrs who spoke at the conference included Shaheed Sajjad Hossain Sajal's mother Shahina Begum, Shaheed Zahiduzzaman Tanvin's sister Jessica Zaman, Shaheed Shafiq Uddin Ahnaf's mother Zartaj Parveen, Shaheed Ridwan Sharif Riyad's younger sister Shimu Ahmed, Shaheed Raihan's younger sister Swarna Akhter, Shaheed Saif Arafat Sharif's sister Kamrunnahar, Shaheed Shahadat Hossain Shaon's father Bashir Alam, Shaheed Imam Hasan's brother Rabiul Awal, among others.

Chaired by Global Knowledge Foundation Chairman Rabeya Akhter and moderated by Omar Farooq, the event was attended by former Dhaka University professor Tajmeri S. Islam as the chief guest and special guests were political head of the National Revolutionary Council Anisur Rahman, organisational head Shafiur Rahman and member secretary Mohammad Hasan Arif, convener of the Revolutionary Students Council Abdul Wahed and member secretary Fazlur Rahman.

Various demands were presented to the government at the conference. Notable among these demands are that all the martyr families of the July Revolution be given due dignity and better treatment arrangements for the injured, a Shaheed Smriti Public Library and Shishu Academy should be established in Uttara, an international standard psychological support team should be formed for children affected by the movement, and the contribution of women and children in the history of the July Revolution should be highlighted.