KUSHTIA, Sept 23, 2024 (BSS) - Alamgir Sheikh, 36, who hailed from Kushtia, came to Dhaka 20 years back and started driving car to maintain his family.

But he had to suffer a lot while maintaining his two children's tuition fees and house rent apart from the food cost of his family.

That's why he took a venture of ride-sharing under the platform of Pathao along with continuing his job as a driver. 
 
With the extra income, his family started seeing good days. But all of their hopes were shattered on July 19 as Alamgir was shot dead by police while he was offering water to the protesters who were taking part in the anti-discrimination student movement.
 
Soon after the death, family members of Alamgir, son of Izarul who is a resident of Kosba under Kumarkhali upazila in Kushtia district, took his body to their native village and buried the corpse without an autopsy.

Relatives said after Jummah prayers, Alamgir went to his office in the Rampura area asking his wife to cook. Family members quoting witnesses said the police fired at the protesters from a helicopter on the day.

Some of the protestors were badly injured and fell on the road after being shot. Seeing the protesters' helpless condition, he started helping them and feeding water to some of the injured. Then, three bullets fired from a helicopter hit him.

Later, Alamgir was taken to a nearby hospital by the employees of his company. But there were no doctors at the hospital. So, Alamgir had to die there without any treatment.
 
Then his family members took his body to their native village by an ambulance and buried it hurriedly, fearing arrest and harassment.

It has been over two months since Alamgir's death. But his family members have yet to overcome the shock.
 
Aleya Khatun, mother of Alamgir, said, "My son was very pious. . . He went to help people. But he had to die as police fired at him from a helicopter."
 
"What was my son's crime...what will happen to my family?" she cried out loudly while narrating that day's incident.
 
"If the government helps us...we will be able to live," she added. 
Rima Khatun, wife of Alamgir, said, "The money which my husband used to earn was not sufficient to run our family, that's why he started riding a bike under Pathao... But nothing is left now. We have all been shattered." 

"I don't know how we will live our lives with my mother-in-law, father-in-law and my kids," she said.

She requested the government to help them. 

Azad, younger brother of Alamgir, said," We were compelled to burry my brother with bullets as he died without treatment and bullets inside his body could not be removed." Alamgir's father Izarul said, "I am an elderly person. Alamgir was my eldest son who took care of us."
 
"Now, I am very worried about my grandchildren ... I do not know how I will run my family," he said. 
 
Kumarkhali Upazila Nirbahi Officer SM Mikail Islam said that the work of preparing the lists of the victims killed during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, is being done, and their family will be helped following the lists. 
 
"We will take measures in terms of helping the family of the martyred upon receiving instruction from the government," he added.