Azam slams sparse turnout at Abu Sayeed memorial service
Photo: Agamir Somoy
Liberation War Minister Ahmed Azam Khan expressed anger and disappointment over the low attendance at a memorial service held at Begum Rokeya University (BRUR) on the death anniversary of Abu Sayeed.
The memorial service took place on Thursday afternoon, with Azam attending as the chief guest. Abu Sayeed was the first martyr of the July mass uprising.
Azam said, “Students of BRUR referred to the square as Abu Sayeed Square. I thought that the university’s teachers, students, officers, and employees would come together to remember Abu Sayeed. I thought there would be no room to stand.”
He added, “I am truly disappointed. More than half of the chairs are empty. This is painful not just for me, but for all of you.”
Paying tribute to the memory of Abu Sayeed, Azam noted, “We give many beautiful speeches standing on the stage, but we do not implement those speeches. Now is the time to prove it through work. If the square were full of people today, Abu Sayeed would find peace even in his grave.
“He would have been delighted to see his classmates remembering him this way. I am saddened and aggrieved to see such a scene today.”
While top university administration officials and invited guests were present at the memorial service, the attendance of students was very low.
