Abu Sayeed street stamp reopened after correction

Berobi, Correspondent :

The Shahid Abu Sayeed Street Memory Stamp at Begum Rokeya University (BEROBI), Rangpur, has been reopened after being corrected.

Following the addition of new inscriptions, it was re-inaugurated on Wednesday (1 October) night.

The current inscription reads:
“Shahid Abu Sayeed Mia, student of the Department of English at Begum Rokeya University. Father: Md. Mokbul Hossain, Mother: Mosammat Monowara Begum.

On 16 July 2024, while leading the anti-discrimination student movement, he stood with his chest out and arms spread wide in front of the university’s Gate No. 1, where he was brutally shot dead by police.

Afterwards, the intensity of the movement spread across the country, culminating in the fall of the autocratic Sheikh Hasina government on 5 August.

He used to say: ‘If I live, I will live with dignity. I will never hesitate to call truth truth and falsehood false, no matter the threats.'”

Previously, the stamp bore the inscription:”The son of Rangpur, Shahid Abu Sayeed, whose head always remained high against tyranny and oppression. He used to say, ‘If necessary, I will embrace martyrdom, but I will never bow my head.’

On 16 July, he spread his arms towards the sky and embraced martyrdom. Thereafter, all of Bangladesh rose with the vow of eternal revolution.”

It may be recalled that on 16 July, the foundation stone of the stamp was unveiled by two advisers of the interim government along with the chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC).

However, on 18 July afternoon, several students covered the stamp with a red cloth, alleging distortion of Shahid Abu Sayeed’s date of birth and revolutionary role.

According to the university administration, the inscription had not been shown either to them or to students before installation; it was placed directly on the day of the inauguration from the ministry.

After the errors were identified and students protested, the administration instructed that the stamp be covered with a red cloth.