KHULNA, Aug 31, 2024(BSS) - Sheikh Md Sakib Raihan, a former student of Baitus Shabuj Madrasha in Dhaka’s Rupnagar area, has taken place in the history of Bangladesh as he sacrificed his life joining the student-mass uprising ousting the Awami League (AL) government.

“After the victory, I will return home with a good job. I want to make you happy, father. You don’t have to work anymore, father,” Sakib told his parents at the time of their departure from Dhaka to Khulna, while he was fully involved in the student-people movement in Dhaka.

Shedding tears Sakib’s father Azizur Rahman told BSS on Thursday that Sakib joined the movement when Sheikh Hasina termed the students as the sons of rajakars.

Replying to a question, Sakib’s father said that he wants to file a case against the law enforcers along with Sheikh Hasina, Obaidul Quader, Asaduzzaman Khan and others who were directly involved in the killing his beloved son.  

Sheikh Md Sakib Raihan, 22, who embraced martyrdom by joining the movement in the capital, was returned to his parents’ house as a dead body carried by a freezing car.

Sakib went to Dhaka to change the fortune of his family after completing his education from the Madrasha, saying job opportunities in Khulna were insufficient and rare at the same time. I had to stay in Dhaka to get a better job, but all went in vain, Azizur Rahman, said in an interview.

“On July 19, I received a phone from Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital at around 4.00 pm. One informed me that your son Sakib is no more. As a father, no other news in the world is as bitter and painful news as the death news of his beloved son,” he said in a grieved voice.
Sakib was laid to eternal rest at Basupara graveyard in Khulna city after holding his Namaz-e-Janaza after Fazr prayers on July 20, he said.

Remembering his last conversation with his beloved son, Azizur said, his son was a madrasah student and a field worker of the national economic census until his death. Even he got a new job and the joining date was on August 1, but couldn’t join the new job, he said adding Sakib’s dreams remained unfulfilled as well as his family’s fortune also remained unchanged.

On July 19, Sakib went to join the student-people movement in Mirpur area in the capital Dhaka, chanting anti-government slogans, at one stage, police fired targeting the participants of the student-people movement and he fell down on the street with a blood-stained body.

Quoting his post-mortem report, Aziz said, the bullet hit his right chest and went out through the backbone of his body. 

“A dream of a son was shot down as soon as the bullet hit his chest. Most of the sons will come to meet their parents at their home but Sakib will never come back again”, Sakib’s father said. 

Sheikh Md Sakib Raihan, son of Sheikh Azizur Rahman, hailed from the Nabapalli area under ward no. 18 in Khulna city. Aziz, a small grocery shop owner, lived in his father-in-law's small house in front of Akaba Jame mosque in the city after he had been bound to shut his small clothes trading during the deadly period of COVID-19. 

While visiting Sakib’s house last week, this reporter found that his parents lived in one room of a dilapidated hut. 

Sometimes words can’t say anything about the cruel death of a loving son and so did Sakib’s parents. His mother could not weep because of the pain of losing her son. Even, she could not cry guessing how her son felt at the time of his death when the bullet hit her loving son. 

Remembering Sakib, his father said, “I along with his mother went to him on July 12. We requested Sakib to return to Khulna from Dhaka with us but he didn't agree to come back to Khulna, saying that he would join a new job from August 1.” 

“Sakib expected to see a discrimination-free new Bangladesh, but he went to the land of death forever leaving us keeping his smile face that symbolizes that Bangladesh is now a discrimination-free and corruption-free country and let's stand up for our rights,” his father said with agony and grief.

“Fortune didn’t allow Sakib to join a new job but the Almighty Allah will reward him on the Judgment day,” Sakib’s father wishes to the Almighty Allah.  

Talking to BSS, Kamal Hossain, a neighbor of Sakib said, Sakib was the youngest son of three children of Aziz who lived in the Mirpur area in Dhaka. His brother Sabbir Raihan is a small trader in Dhaka and his elder daughter also lived in Dhaka after getting married.

Kamal said, side by side with study, Sakib worked with mobile operator company Robi Axiata Limited as a sales representative. Later, he returned to Khulna after leaving the job and he went to Dhaka to resume his study again after the last Eid-ul-Fitr from Khulna to change the fate of his family.