DHAKA: Bangladesh sentenced two former policemen to death by hanging Thursday (April 9) for murdering student protester Abu Sayeed, whose killing escalated the 2024 uprising that toppled the autocratic government of Sheikh Hasina.
Sayeed died aged 23 in the northern city of Rangpur, the first student demonstrator killed in the police crackdown on protests.
Footage of his last moments on July 16, 2024 -- standing with his arms outstretched before he was shot at close range -- was shown repeatedly on Bangladeshi television after Hasina's downfall.
Prosecutors charged 30 people in connection with the killing, ranging from murder to command responsibility and criminal enterprise. Only six are in custody -- including the two men sentenced to death.
"All 30 were convicted," chief prosecutor Aminul Islam told reporters. "Abu Sayeed sacrificed his life to free the country from autocratic rule."
Death sentences were handed down to two former low-level policemen, Amir Hossain and Sujan Chandra Roy, who are both in court to hear the verdict.
Their lawyer, Azizul Haque Dulu, told reporters he would file an appeal.
The court handed down prison terms to 28 others, including several senior police officers, a doctor, as well as former staff at Begum Rokeya University, where Sayeed was studying -- including its vice chancellor.
A leader of the now-banned Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of Hasin's Awami League, was also sentenced.
Some must serve as much as 10 years in prison, but Sayeed's brother, Ramzan Ali, said the family wanted heavier sentences.
"The court handed lighter sentences to senior police officials and the Chhatra League leader," he told AFP. "We will file an appeal." - AFP
