The July mass uprising-2024 marked a critical juncture in Bangladesh’s political history as the student-led mass uprising ousted Sheikh Hasina ending her nearly 16-year rule.
Amid this countrywide movement, voices emerged from diverse segments of society and thousands of people from Kushtia also took part in the protests.
Of them, three people from Hatshaharipur village of the Sadar Upazila were killed on August 5. Ashraful Islam, son of Kafil Uddin; Bablu Faraji, son of Nowsher Ali; and Suruj Ali, son of Nowsher Ali—all were buried in the same graveyard.
This reporter visited the village recently and met Bablu Farazi’s family. His son Sujan Mahmud said his father left them a year ago but his memories are still fresh with them. Sujan said his father had gone to a procession at the Kushtia Sadar Police Station on August 5 last year. At that time, there was a clash between the students and the police.
“During this clash, my father was killed by police firing,” he said.
He said: “I miss my father every day, every moment. My father was one of my closest persons. I can’t tell anyone how much I miss him.”
“Those who separated my father from me, who made me an orphan should be tried and the interim government or the next government should ensure exemplary punishment for them,” he said.
Ashraful Islam’s family lives in the same area and his death was also brutal.
Ashraful, the father of two young children, went to the movement and promised his family that he would return that day. However, the body returned wrapped in a shroud.
Faria, Ashraful’s five-year-old daughter, said since her father went to the almighty—no one has brought him any gifts.
Faria’s family now lives in a tin-shed house. Her mother, Laboni Akhter Iti, said they did not receive any assistance from the government since Ashraful’s demise.
Laboni Akhter Iti said: “My husband used to work at a private company. On August 4 last year, while returning from office, he saw a child being shot on the street. Seeing this, he came home and started crying. Then he expressed his desire to join the students’ movement.
The next day, on August 5, around 10am, he left the house and around 12:30pm we received the news that he had been shot.
She also said: “Currently, my family is running on some donations from Jamaat-e-Islami and the BNP. I have not received the Tk10 lakh promised by the government yet.”
Labani Akhter regretfully said, “After my husband’s death, many people promised that we would be there. We will not have to pay for the education of our sons and daughters. Now, everything has to be paid. I have to bear all the expenses. Even a year before my husband’s death, we were evicted from Ashraful’s father’s ancestral house. Currently, we are on the land of my grandmother’s house. Even after being evicted from their house, we have to give them half of all the donations.”
She complained that her son is being scolded at the school for failing to pay tuition fees. Everyone at the canteen eats their breakfast and lunch but her son stares at the food helplessly.