Former International Crimes Tribunal chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam said martyrs such as Abu Sayed and Mugdha did not give their lives to see violence and conflict during the month marking the July anniversary. He made the remarks on Tuesday evening as the main speaker at a discussion on the first day of the “July Cultural Fest” at the University of Chittagong. The programme was organised by the Chittagong University Central Students’ Union.

Tajul Islam said people had endured a shared hardship over the past year and fought shoulder to shoulder. Questioning why people were now attacking one another, he said such scenes should not be seen in Bangladesh. He called on everyone to be conscious of their respective responsibilities.

Remembering those killed in the July mass uprising, he said the state must be completely changed out of responsibility toward every martyr’s sacrifice and blood. He said state institutions used to carry out killings during the uprising must be reformed, naming the police force, intelligence agencies and bureaucracy. The meeting was attended by the vice-chancellor, teachers, former student leaders and leaders and activists from different student organisations.