Desk Report,
A body, a bullet and the fall of a dictatorship
Some deaths go beyond mere numbers to determine the political course of a nation. The incident of Abu Saeed’s bullet-riddled chest on the streets of Rangpur on July 16, 2024, is perhaps one such incident.
A body, a bullet and the fall of a dictatorship
This death was not just the end of a young man’s life; it could be said to be a moment that exposed the complex relationship between the state, power, and the moral standing of the individual. On the first anniversary of Abu Saeed’s death, I feel it is essential to analyze his sacrifice within a social, political, and theoretical framework, beyond the emotional heroic story.
What distinguishes Abu Saeed’s death from other casualties of conventional protests is its context and his own role.
Investigations by eyewitnesses and various agencies, especially the Drik Picture Library and forensic architecture, show that Abu Saeed was not part of the chaotic crowd, but consciously separated from it and confronted law enforcement. He was completely unarmed. His standing still with his arms outstretched and his chest exposed was not an immediate reaction, but a deliberate move. The investigation revealed that the police shot him with a shotgun from a distance of about 14 meters. According to international human rights law, a person at this distance cannot be considered an immediate threat to law enforcement. This information proves that Abu Saeed was not engaged in any violent resistance. His stillness is therefore not only courageous, but also a direct challenge to state power.
If you look at the investigative video report (Hasina: Thirty-Six Days in July) by the Qatar-based Al Jazeera Investigative Unit (I-Unit), you can understand very deeply how extreme the level of bravery Abu Saeed took himself, and that very consciously.
To properly understand Abu Saeed’s action, similar protest events that have taken place around the world can be seen in front of you.
‘Tank Man’ in Tiananmen Square (1989): The image of the anonymous man standing alone in front of a line of Chinese military tanks is a powerful symbol of nonviolent resistance. Just as he momentarily silenced the immense power of the state machine with his single human body, Abu Said embodies the same image, where moral power challenges mechanical power.
Mohamed Bouazizi (2010): The suicide of this Tunisian fruit seller was the catalyst for the Arab Spring. He is an extreme example of using one’s own body as a means of political statement when all other avenues of protest are blocked. This philosophy resonates in Abu Said’s work, where the body becomes the ultimate means of protest.
