Justice demanded for Bangladeshi student's death in US police shooting

By SM Najmus Sakib

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - Hundreds of saddened Bangladeshi people on Monday protested the death of an expatriate Bangladeshi student in police shooting in the US on Wednesday.

Protesters held a human-chain in front of the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka condemning the death of Sayed Arif Faisal, 20, in the US. Faisal was a student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

They formed the chain when US National Security Council's senior director for South Asia Rear Admiral Eileen Laubacher paid an official visit to the ministry and held a meeting with Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen at the latter’s office in Dhaka.

The US official is on a four-day visit to discuss security, Rohingya crisis and other bilateral issues with high government officials in Bangladesh. She is scheduled to leave Dhaka on Saturday.

The protesters held an event that featured slogans and posters. Those read, including “Human rights are violated in the US today.”

Bangladeshi senior journalist and columnist Ajay Das Gupta joined the protest and described the death as a very unfortunate event, including for the US.

"It is very sad that the US police shot and killed a Bangladeshi who was not convicted of any crime. We want justice for Faisal," he demanded.

Although there are many human rights violations and ethnic violence in the US, they are advising on human rights in other countries, including Bangladesh, he lamented.

Bangladesh foreign minister told the reporters in Dhaka after the incident that the US assured Bangladesh of ensuring justice accordingly.

"There is a good judicial process in the United States and the authorities there will definitely take action," he added.

The US embassy Dhaka on Monday issued a statement following the protest.

“The U.S. Embassy extends its condolences to the family and loved ones of Mr. Sayed Faisal. We support calls for a thorough and transparent investigation by the District Attorney’s Office,” US Embassy Spokesperson Jeff Ridenour said in the statement.

Faisal was shot dead by the police on Wednesday afternoon local time in the city of Cambridge. He was taken to the Massachusetts General Hospital where he died while undergoing treatment.

The Bangladesh Association of New England (BANE) in the US earlier on Thursday held a human-chain in protest against the killing of Bangladeshi student by Cambridge police.

The Massachusetts chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MA) issued a statement from the parents of Sayed Arif Faisal.

“Our only son, Sayed Arif Faisal, who we lovingly called Prince [… ]. Prince was a normal law-abiding citizen who had no record of any kind with law enforcement. He was never violent towards anyone. We want to know what happened and how this tragic event unfolded. We will cooperate with law enforcement and the Middlesex District Attorney’s office as they investigate to have an understanding of this devastating event,” the statement read.

According to media reports, the police were called when Faisal was seen injuring himself with a knife.

Faisal initially fled when the police arrived, but reportedly returned to the scene still carrying the knife. The police reportedly tried to subdue Faisal with a “less lethal” form of ammunition before shooting him.

The officer involved in the shooting has been placed on leave. The shooting is under investigation by the Middlesex District Attorney's office, according to CBS News.