The US Embassy in Dhaka has supported calls for a proper investigation into the death of Sayed Arif Faisal, a Bangladeshi-origin youth who was gunned down by the police in Massachusetts.
In a statement issued on Monday, the embassy expressed condolences over Faisal's death to his family. "We support calls for a thorough and transparent investigation by the District Attorney’s Office,” said Jeff Ridenour, spokesperson for the US Embassy, bdnews24.com reported.
Faisal, a 20-year-old student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, was fatally shot by a police officer in the city of Cambridge on Jan 4.
The incident sparked an uproar in the Bangladeshi expatriate community, leading to protests outside Cambridge City Hall the next day. Faisal’s family also called for justice over his death.
In Dhaka, a group of protesters formed a human chain in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday to demand justice for Faisal amid an American security official's visit to the country. Rear Admiral Eileen Laubacher, the US National Security Council's senior director for South Asia, was scheduled to meet officials at the ministry in the afternoon.
“The US speaks about human rights violations in other countries. We call upon them to take notice of what is happening in their own country," said Ajoy Dasgupta, an Ekushey Padak-winning journalist who took part in the demonstration.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen arrived in the area after the protest ended. He underlined the government's belief that the US would deliver justice after investigating the matter in line with the rule of law.