July coordinator Hasib attacked with machete in Sreemangal, part of hand severed

Hasib Al Islam, who served as a coordinator during the July uprising, has been attacked with a machete. Part of his hand was severed in the attack.

The attack took place at around 11:50am on Tuesday (10 November), while he was on his way to a resort in Sreemangal, Moulvibazar.

A video circulating on social media shows Hasib Al Islam travelling in an auto-rickshaw. On the way, a man stopped his auto-rickshaw. The man’s face is not visible in the video.

At first, the man is heard addressing him as a “July militant”. Then he suddenly strikes him with a machete. Part of his hand is cut off in the attack.

Meanwhile, allegations have emerged that leaders and activists of the banned organisation Chhatra League were seen sharing the video of the attack on social media and celebrating it.

After the incident, leaders of various student organisations expressed protest and condemnation on social media.

Shamim Hossain, who contested the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election, condemned the attack, saying: “I condemn the terrorist attack on our younger brother Hasib Al Islam.”

He added that one person was killed in arson terror on a bus, and that it is the government’s responsibility to ensure the safety of the people of the country. He expressed the hope that the government would be strict in this regard.

Notably, the banned organisation Chhatra League has called a nationwide general strike for 10 November. The attack in Sreemangal took place on the very day of the strike.

Details are not yet known about Hasib Al Islam’s physical condition after the attack, or about identifying the attacker and bringing him under the law.

Leaders of various student organisations have protested the incident on social media and demanded the swift arrest of the attackers.