Chattogram Bureau

Sarjis Alam, general secretary for the July Shaheed Smriti Foundation, says he is again ready to lay down his life to resist anyone attempting to rehabilitate the perpetrators of the killings in the July-August movement.

He said, “Before Aug 5, we were united in being ready to lay down our lives. We are still ready to give our lives to bring those murderers to justice and oppose all forms of their rehabilitation.”

He made the remarks to the media on the sidelines of a programme to provide financial assistance to the families of martyrs at the PTI Auditorium in Chittagong city on Saturday afternoon. Each family of 105 martyrs in the Chattogram division was given a cheque of Tk 500,000 at the event.

Many of the bereaved broke down in tears when they met the coordinators of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement and were consoled by Sarjis.

Sarjis said, “No matter what consolation or financial support we offer, it can never fill the void left by the loss of a child, a spouse, or a brother.”

“Despite such a huge massacre, the names of those murderers are still being spoken aloud in Bangladesh. Their political rights are being discussed again. Each of them is a pathological killer. They have killed Bangladesh citizens in various ways for the past 16 years.”

This member of the National Citizens’ Committee said, “In this new Bangladesh, some policemen have returned to working for a party while wearing their uniform. Please take off those clothes and leave. Remember, we have learned to give our lives.”

“Let me tell you clearly, there will be no place for brokers and sycophants in this country. A business in cases is still being done over our martyred brothers. We do not want to see this anymore.”

Addressing those who lost their relatives in the movement, Sarjis said, “You have to be strong. We will continue to speak until Bangladesh delivers justice for these murders. If we find any evidence of someone attempting to hoodwink you, we will declare war on them in Bangladesh.”

“The whole of Bangladesh is ready to stand by you to do anything we can. Until now, we may not have been able to stand by you in that way. Just let us know if you need anything. We have forgotten the fear for our own lives long ago.”

He said, “Many of us opened our chests to the police bullets in July-August. We will stand by you to provide everything you need.”

“If someone works as an agent of the murderer Hasina, we will take to the streets together and resist them again.”

Before distributing the cheques, Sarjis said: “A child of about one-and-a-half to two years old will ask me- ‘Where is my brother?’ A father showed me a picture of his child being shot in the stomach. We try our best to control our emotions, but we cannot.”

“A request to law-enforcing agencies – ensure that those who were involved in these cases face justice on the basis of evidence. At the end of the day, there will be no posts or designations. You cannot find more peace than when you are honest with yourself.”