Family of slain student protester Wasim Akram demands justice one year after July uprising

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The wall of the family home in Cox’s Bazar’s Pekua upazila serves as a poignant memorial to Mohammad Wasim, featuring a framed photograph of the young man alongside his final, haunting social media post. On July 16, 2024, Wasim shared a three-word call to action on Facebook: “Come to Sholashahar.” Hours after that urgent invitation to join the quota-reform protests in Chattogram, the sociology student was fatally shot.

Two years have passed since the events that claimed his life, yet the grief remains visceral within his family’s flood-stricken home. On a living room table, eighteen memorial crests—honors bestowed upon him for his sacrifice—sit in solemn rows. His mother, Josna Begum, traces the edges of these awards, noting that while the floodwaters have returned to their village, the person who once waded through the surge to provide for the family is gone. She describes a life defined by a hollow ache, marked by sleepless nights and the phantom hope that her son might still walk through the door.

Wasim, a third-year student at Chattogram College and a joint convener of the college unit of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, was a central figure in his family. His sister, Sabrina Yasmin, recalls the events of July 16, when students gathered at the Sholashahar railway station. According to accounts of that day, the protesters were met by armed members of the Chhatra League and Jubo League before the demonstration could formally begin. Wasim was among three people killed in the ensuing violence.

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For his family, the pursuit of justice has become the primary focus of their endurance. In June, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman visited Wasim’s grave and offered condolences to his parents, during which Josna Begum reiterated her singular demand: a swift trial for those responsible for her son’s death.

Wasim’s father, Shafiul Alam, continues to visit his son’s graveside daily, a ritual he describes as a conversation with the child he lost to the movement. As the nation reflects on the transition toward democracy, the family maintains that their pride in Wasim’s contribution is inseparable from their quest for accountability. For them, the return of democracy in the country is inextricably linked to the necessity of bringing his killers to justice.