State Minister Khalid says there was no order to shoot quota protest leader Abu Sayed in Rangpur

He says an investigation is under way to determine why the shooting occurred

State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury has said there was no order to shoot Abu Sayed, a student of Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur, during the quota movement protests on Jul 16.

“There was no directive for the police to shoot. We have initiated an investigation to understand why the shooting occurred,” he said during a meeting with party leaders in Dinajpur on Saturday.

Khalid, MP for Dinajpur-2, inspected the damage caused to the Awami League offices in Dinajpur during the protests.

The shooting of Sayed, which marked a turning point in the quota movement, was captured on video and showed him being shot while holding a stick at the university gate.

He was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

The same day, five other people lost their lives in clashes, including a student leader from Chattogram and a Chhatra League activist from Dhaka, but the shooting of Sayed became a central issue.

The violence led to the declaration of a complete shutdown on Jul 18, causing widespread disruption.

Clashes in Dhaka’s Badda and Uttara areas resulted in several student deaths from police gunfire, further intensifying the unrest.

Government buildings and infrastructure, including the BTV building, the Disaster Management building, Setu Bhaban and the office of the Directorate General of Health Services, were set on fire, and Metro Rail stations were attacked.

The toll plazas on the Elevated Expressway and Mayor Hanif Flyover were also burned.

Amid rising violence and a growing death toll, internet services were suspended, and curfews were imposed.

Despite these measures, clashes persisted in various Dhaka neighborhoods and extended to other districts, where police stations and AL offices were burned, and weapons were looted from Narsingdi Jail. Hundreds of inmates, including nine militants, also escaped the prison.

Media reports indicate that the violence over the past week has resulted in over 200 deaths.

While the situation began to stabilise on Monday, limited office operations resumed on Wednesday, but train services remain suspended.

Internet access has been partially restored, but mobile internet services are still unavailable.

The AL district and Sadar Upazila offices were attacked, and several motorcycles were set on fire In Dinajpur on Jul 18.

Regarding the violence, the state minister blamed the Jamaat-BNP alliance and their affiliates for attempting to disrupt Bangladesh’s international standing and sovereignty.

He said the violence was directed against the nation, not against the AL or Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina personally.