CoU student holds coffin procession, solidarity rally

Students of the Jatiya Chhatra Shakti at Cumilla University (CoU) organised a coffin procession and solidarity rally on Friday, demanding justice for those killed during the July uprising and commemorating its victims.

The procession began from the university’s central mosque and ended at the campus roundabout, where participants held a solidarity rally.

Among those present were Cumilla South District Jatiya Chhatra Shakti Convener and CoU unit organiser Nayeem Bhuiyan, CoU unit organiser Md Iqbal Hasan Yad, and other leaders and activists of the organisation.

During the procession, participants chanted slogans including, “Abu Sayeed, Mugdho-the struggle is not over,” “My brother is in the grave, why are the killers still free?” “We demand justice for the July killings,” and “Salute to the martyrs of July.”

Addressing the rally, Md Iqbal Hasan Yad said that on July 16, 2024, Abu Sayeed, Wasim and four others were killed, while coffin processions and funeral prayers in absentia were held across the country the following day.

He alleged that the then government attacked Dhaka University and shut down educational institutions in an attempt to suppress the movement.

“They thought the movement would end, but we did not give up. The authoritarian regime eventually fell.

However, we have yet to achieve the Bangladesh our brothers dreamed of. We demand justice for all the July killings, including a fair trial of Sheikh Hasina and everyone responsible,” he said.

Speaking at the programme, Nayeem Bhuiyan said students at Comilla University had held funeral prayers in absentia during the July movement and organised the coffin procession this year to honour the victims.

He alleged that Sheikh Hasina bore responsibility for the bloodshed and demanded justice for all those involved in the killings. He also urged the current government to ban the Awami League as a political party.