I have received no allowances yet for my son's martyrdom

Abu Sayeed, who gave away his life on 16 July 2024, ignited the vigour and spirit of millions of students and ordinary masses from all walks of society last year while the countrywide July Mass Upsurge was going on. The Anti-Discriminatory Students' Movement eventually led to the overthrow of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her banned political outfit Awami League on 5 August 2024. As July comes back once again, people are looking back on what happened at this time last year and recalling those fateful memories.

Somoy TV, a private satellite channel spoke to martyr Abu Sayeed's father Maqbul Hossain on Tuesday. The conversation of journalists with Maqbul Hossain has meanwhile gone viral on social media in the form of a video clip. Maqbul Hossain said with dismay that the interim government promised to pay BDT 30 lakh to the family of each July Revolution martyr. But Maqbul Hossain stated that he has not yet received any monetary allowances from the government for his son Abu Sayeed's martyrdom.

Maqbul Hossain informed that some officials from authorities concerned visited his household and talked to him but no financial benefits have yet reached Abu Sayeed's parents. Maqbul Hossain called upon the government to remember the supreme sacrifice of Abu Sayeed and all other martyrs who laid down their lives in 2024 for the sake of eradicating discrimination from Bangladesh.

In the video clip Maqbul Hossain sounded rather disappointed when he said his son Abu Sayeed embraced martyrdom for a Bangladesh free of discrepancies but discrimination could not be removed from the country as of yet. Hundreds of netizens reacted and commented on the interview.