Photo : BSS

RANGPUR, July 12, 2025 (BSS) - Rangpur city has been rocked by protests by 
students and political activists demanding the maximum punishment for those 
involved in the brutal killing of scrap metal trader Sohag by pelting stones 
in public in Dhaka's Mitford area.

The main protest procession was taken out from Rangpur Zilla School 
intersection on Saturday afternoon under the banner of General Revolutionary 
Students. 

The procession walked for about six kilometers around the city and circled 
important roads before ending at Shaheed Abu Sayeed Square adjacent to Begum 
Rokeya University. 

In addition to students, leaders and supporters of National Citizen Party 
(NCP), Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, Islami Chhatra Shibir, Gano 
Adhikar Chhatra Parishad and Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad participated in the 
protests. 

Later, a short protest rally was held there. 

During the procession, students chanted slogans like 'One two three four, 
extortionists no more', 'I have given blood, I will give more blood', 
'Injustice will be swept away in the flood of blood', 'In this Bengal, no 
place for extortionists', 'My brother is in the grave, why is the murderer 
outside', 'The black hand of the extortionist, break it and crush it', 'Abu 
Sayeed-Mugdho, the war is not over', and so on. 

Earlier, students of Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur Medical College and 
Carmichael College held separate protest marches and rallies in Rangpur city 
on Friday night to protest the murder of scrap material trader Sohag. 

The speakers alleged that after the fall of the fascist Awami League regime 
on August 5, terrorists of a party had taken over their vacant space by 
creating terrible insecurity in the lives of the people through extortion, 
tendering, encroachment and murder. 
 
Ashfaq Ahmed Jamil, member-secretary of the Rangpur district committee of the 
Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, said, "The students and the public did 
not shed blood in the July uprising for extortion and tender rigging." 

The way a businessman was killed in broad daylight in Dhaka has surpassed the 
era of 'Aiyame Jahiliya' (Age of Ignorance). Everyone involved in this murder 
must be brought to justice. 

"If those who started extortion and encroachment are not brought to justice, 
the students and the public of this country will take to the streets again," 
he cautioned. 

Alamgir Kabir, joint coordinator of NCP Rangpur metropolitan committee said, 
"After August 5, those who have been involved in encroachment, tender rigging 
and murder in the style of neo-fascists have started thinking that they own 
the state." 

"Today's protest march is to warn them," he mentioned.