Bangladesh court gives death penalty to 2 policemen over killing of key uprising figure

A Bangladesh court on Thursday handed down death sentence to two policemen over the killing of Abu Sayed, a university student, on the eve of the 2024 uprising that ended Sheikh Hasina's 15-year rule.

The three-member International Crimes Tribunal-2, led by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, delivered the verdict.

Police opened fire on Sayed while he was protesting a police attack on fellow students at Begum Rokeya University in the northern district of Rangpur on July 16, 2024. He stood with his arms outstretched in front of police before being shot at close range.

Video footage and still images of the incident later spread widely on social media and became a key catalyst for protests across university campuses nationwide.

Those sentenced to death were former assistant sub-inspector Amir Hossain and former constable Sujan Chandra Roy. Both are currently in custody.

Three more policemen were sentenced to life imprisonment in the case on charges of crimes against humanity linked to the killing. All three remain absconding.

The remaining 25 people among the total 30 accused received various prison terms.

Among them, former Begum Rokeya University Vice-Chancellor Md. Hasibur Rashid was sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. He remains absconding.

Other convicted individuals include senior district police officials, university teachers and staff, and members of Hasina's Awami League Party's student associates of the university. Many of them remain absconding.

Hasina fled to India on Aug. 5 at the height of the student-led uprising.

About 1,400 people were killed and more than 20,000 injured in the unrest, according to the UN.