On July 26, during a professional gathering marking the anniversary of the ‘July-August Mass Uprising’ at the GEC Convention Center in Chattogram, Mayor of Chattogram City Corporation and BNP leader Dr. Shahadat Hossain, while addressing the event, claimed that Wasim Akram was the first martyr of the July Movement in Chattogram. He stated, “I do not deny the contribution of Shaheed Abu Saeed. However, if we assess chronologically based on the events, then Wasim Akram is the first martyr. He was shot and killed between 4:30 PM and 5:00 PM on July 16. Abu Saeed, on the other hand, died at night.”

Fact-check

Rumor Scanner Team’s investigation reveals that the statement made by Chattogram City Corporation Mayor and BNP leader Dr. Shahadat Hossain concerning Abu Saeed’s time of death is factually incorrect. Abu Saeed did not die at night; he passed away before 3:00 PM in the afternoon. Abu Saeed was shot at approximately 2:19 PM and collapsed on the road. He died en route to the hospital. At 3:05 PM, the hospital authorities declared him dead and issued a death certificate.

The Daily Star published a report at 4:01 PM on July 16 on its website, noting that Abu Saeed was killed during a clash with police around 2:30 PM that day.

A report published in Prothom Alo in the evening of July 16 stated that clashes began at around 2:00 PM near the Park intersection in front of Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur. Abu Saeed was injured during that time and taken to Rangpur Medical College Hospital, where emergency department physician Dr. Ashikul Arefin confirmed that he had died before reaching the hospital.

Subsequently, the Rumor Scanner Team attempted to verify the exact moment Abu Saeed collapsed after being shot. During the investigation, a live video posted by the Begum Rokeya University Journalists' Association Facebook page at 2:16 PM was discovered. At 1 minute and 14 seconds into the video, Abu Saeed is seen being shot; at 1 minute and 33 seconds, he collapses on the road; and by 1 minute and 57 seconds, a few people are seen carrying him away. According to the video timestamp, he collapsed around 2:18 PM in an unconscious state.

At 3:59 PM, The Daily Campus published a report containing an image of Abu Saeed’s death certificate issued by Rangpur Medical College Hospital. The document states that he was brought in deceased at 3:05 PM. At 4:18 PM, Dhaka Post published another image of the same certificate. Similar death certificate images circulated in multiple Facebook posts afterward.

Daily Sun's Bengali edition, in a report at 4:13 PM, also cited the death certificate, stating that Abu Saeed was brought dead to Rangpur Medical College Hospital at 3:05 PM.

On the Facebook page "BRUR Campus" linked to Begum Rokeya University, a live video titled “Live from Rangpur Medical College” was streamed at 3:59 PM. In the video, students are seen marching with Abu Saeed’s body in protest, chanting slogans outside the emergency department of the hospital and moving toward the main road.

Based on the above facts and evidence, it is confirmed that Abu Saeed was killed in the afternoon, not at night, and specifically before 3:00 PM.

Meanwhile, a BDNews24 report indicates that news of Shaheed Wasim Akram’s death surfaced from Soloshohor around 4:30 PM. A report published the same day by The Daily Star, citing Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) Commissioner Saiful Islam, stated, “Around 4:30 PM, two bodies were recovered from the Soloshohor railway station area. The deceased were identified as Md. Faruk (32) and Wasim Akram (24).” However, Wasim Akram’s death certificate records his time of death as 6:50 PM.

Therefore, the claim made by Chattogram City Corporation Mayor and BNP leader Dr. Shahadat Hossain that “Abu Saeed died at night” is incorrect.

Source: https://rumorscanner.com/fact-check/abu-sayeed-killed-during-day-quota-reform/160215