Family objects to exhumation of July martyr’s body, magistrate returns

Although the body of martyr Hafez Mohammad Zubair Ahmed (17), who participated in the victory procession of the anti-discrimination student movement, who was killed in police firing on August 5 last year, was taken up for exhumation on the orders of the court, it was not possible due to the objections of the family.

On Thursday (May 22), at 2:18 pm, an administrative team went to the Lahinipara Central Cemetery in Chapra Union of Kumarkhali Upazila of Kushtia to exhume the body.

Leaded by Executive Magistrate Aditya Pal, they arrived at the cemetery and visited the grave of martyr Zubair. However, due to the objections of the family, they returned without exhuming the body.

Shaheed Zubair’s father Mohammad Kamal Uddin said, “My son died in police firing while participating in the victory procession. The hospital report is clear about the shooting. Therefore, there is no need to exhume the body. I have objected in writing.’

In an emotional voice, he said, ‘Everyone was celebrating Eid that day, but I had tears in my eyes during the victory procession. We still have tears in our eyes today. I want the murderers to be tried under the prevailing law.’

A local resident, Faruk Ahmed, who was present at the scene of the incident, said, ‘I heard that the martyr’s body would be exhumed from the grave. But the magistrate left because the family opposed it.’

Rezaul Karim, who bathed Shaheed Zubair on the day of the incident, said, ‘The bullet entered through the left breast and exited through the right rib. Only one bullet was hit.’

It is known that on August 5, 2023, the police opened fire when anti-discrimination students took out a victory procession in the Khilgaon intersection area of ​​Dhaka. Hafez Mohammad Zubair Ahmed was injured in this. He later died while undergoing treatment at Mugda Medical College Hospital. The body was buried socially at the Lahinipara Central Cemetery in Kumarkhali, Kushtia the next day.

Almost a month after the incident, on September 12, the deceased’s father Mohammad Kamal Uddin filed a case with Khilgaon Police Station. Former Bridges Minister and Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader and 12 others were named as accused in the case. Numerous unknown persons were also named as accused.

In January this year, the court ordered the exhumation of the body from the grave for the sake of investigating the case. The administrative team arrived there on Thursday to implement that instruction.

Executive Magistrate Aditya Pal said, “Since the plaintiff objected, I am not exhuming the body and am returning after collecting written statements from the locals. The matter will be reported to the court.”

The investigating officer of the case, Dhaka Metro CID Police Inspector Md. Badiuzzaman said, “For the sake of the investigation, we cannot give details, but even if the body is not exhumed, the investigation will not be hampered.”