“With my income it was always hard to educate all my children, but I never stepped back. We even we starved. I had a dream that one day Faruk will take the wheels of my family and I will retire,” said Munir Hossain, the father of Asaduzzaman-Al- Faruk, a student who died after being hit by a stray bullet during a clash between two factions of Bangladesh Chhatra League’s Dhaka College unit.
Faruk, 26, was not an activist of the BCL but a general student. After recently finishing his masters, he had gone back to his home in Panchagarh and only came to the capital to attend a job recruitment examination ten days ago.
“He said he would go back to Dhaka and study for the job recruitment exams. But, they killed my son. I want justice,” said Faruk’s father over the phone as he broke down in tears.
A heart-rending scene occurred at his home after his parents heard the news of their son’s death. Faruk was second among his four siblings. His father Munir Hossain was a Muslim cleric (Muezzin) at Surmills Jam-e Mosque.
The rival groups led by BCL Dhaka College unit President Fuad Hasan and General Secretary Sakib Hasan engaged in a clash over establishing supremacy on the campus. Faruk was caught in the middle of the fight and hit by a stray bullet. He died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) at around 12:30am.
One of Faruk’s roommates, Ahsan Mamun said he never saw Faruk taking part in any political programme or getting involved in troubles.
“He was standing in front of the hall gates. Suddenly men from the president’s group opened fired,” he said.
His body was taken to his village following an autopsy on Saturday afternoon. The autopsy report said a bullet had pierced the right sight of his respiratory system.
His parents could not come to Dhaka to take the body to Panchagarh due to the BNP-led opposition alliance enforced blockade. His friends rented an ambulance and took the body.
Sub Inspector at the New Market police station Ripon Kumar Shaha said they were preparing to file a case.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) on Saturday afternoon issued an order suspending the activities of the Dhaka College unit.