A slain father, his unseen daughter

The wound of losing her husband has not healed yet. The night of July 1 Gulshan attack still haunts slain Assistant Commissioner Rabiul Karim’s wife every now and then. Today is just one month since AC Rabiul of Detective Branch was killed in the terror assault at Holey Artisan Bakery, and it is also the day his daughter was born. For Rabiul's wife, the pain of losing her husband overshadows the joy of the birth of their child. The slain officer’s daughter was born at the wee hours Monday. The family also has a seven-year-old son. “The caesarian on Rabiul’s wife was performed right after Sunday midnight. Doctors have said the child has minor skin issues,” Rabiul’s brother Shamsuzzaman told Bangla Tribune. Asked what kind of a man Rabiul used to be, his friends and well-wishers talked about his dreams that he had shared with them. They said since a student of Jahangirnagar University, Rabiul had a dream to do something for physically challenged children. So, he set up a school for those children in 2006 on the property his mother gave him. Rabiul’s brother Shamsuzzaman said: “Within a few years, the school attained a good reputation among the low-income locals. It is sad that on its way to success; the school lost its most pivotal guardian.” Villagers said Rabiul would spare time from his busy schedule for the school. He would also visit every student’s house to inquire about their studies. AC Rabiul Karim was killed when terrorists shot fires and hurled grenades at law enforcers during a rescue operation at Holey Artisan Bakery on July 1. Officer-in-Charge of Banani Police Station Salauddin Khan, and 20 hostages, including 17 foreign nationals, were killed in the attack. The terrorists were killed in a commando operation the next morning after a 12-hour standoff.