News Flash
By Barun Kumar Dash
DHAKA, May 23, 2025 (BSS) - Tasfia Tabassum Tuba will grow up carrying the name her father gave her-but she will never be able to see his face.
"When Tuba grows up and asks, 'Where is my father?' what will I say?" said Tania Akhter, the grieving wife of Rabiul Islam Faraji, in a recent interview with BSS.
"My daughter will grow up without knowing a father's love and affection. She will never have the chance to see him."
Rabiul Islam Faraji, a trader of electronic items, was shot dead by police in the Jatrabari area of the capital during the Anti-Discrimination Student-Public Movement on July 19, 2024.
Tania mentioned that Tuba was born one month and 20 days after her father's death. "It was Rabiul who chose the name we gave our newborn girl. But what a cruel twist of fate! Tuba will grow up bearing the name given by her father, yet she will never see him with her own eyes. I want justice for this murder."
Twenty-five-year-old Tania is now living in constant fear about the future of her daughter, having lost the family's only breadwinner.
Hailed from Shakbunia village under Bakerganj upazila in Barishal district, Rabiul was born on October 17, 1997.
His father, Abdul Latif Farazi, 65, and mother, Delwara Begum, 55, still live in Bakerganj. Rabiul was the youngest of two brothers and two sisters.
All of Rabiul's siblings now live in the Bargram Baromsjid area of Kamrangirchar.
Rabiul and Tania were married in 2022. His shop was located in the Nawabpur City Market in the capital.
Rabiul's brother-in-law, Saiful Islam, said Rabiul had been active in the anti-discrimination student movement from the beginning. He participated in protests along with managing his business.
During one such protest, he was shot dead by police in Jatrabari on July 19. "It was a Friday," Saiful recalled.
"Later, on Saturday night (July 20), we received his body from Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH)."
They took the body to their native village on July 22 and buried him in the family graveyard.
Recalling the events of that tragic day, Saiful said, "Rabiul had been taking part in the movement daily. That day, like every other day, he went to join the protest after Juma prayers."
"Around 4 pm, a man named Shakil, who was with him, informed us that Rabiul had been shot in the chest in front of the Jatrabari police station," he said.
"We went there and searched for him, but couldn't find him," Saiful said.
"Later, local people told us that all the injured had been taken to DMCH."
"We rushed to the hospital, and after much searching, we found Rabiul's body lying on a trolley. The doctors said he died from excessive bleeding."
Rabiul's elder sister, Nupur Akhter, said, "Rabiul was our youngest brother. We were very affectionate towards him. I brought him to Dhaka and he lived with us before his marriage."
"After marrying, he moved to a nearby residence. He now has a daughter-it breaks our hearts to see her," she added.
"Why did this happen to our happy family? Who will ensure my daughter's security?" Tania asked, breaking down into tears.
Tania, who has passed HSC, said, "I want a safe future for my daughter. I want her to be well-educated. But I don't have a job. What can I do?"
She also demanded that those who were killed in the anti-discrimination student-public movement be officially recognized as martyrs by the state.
Martyr Rabiul Islam's father, Abdul Latif, said he still cannot accept the tragic death of his son.
Demanding justice for those responsible, he said, "My son struggled since childhood. He worked in others' shops. He couldn't study. He took loans with great hardship to open his own shop."
"But they killed my innocent boy. They emptied my heart. They made my granddaughter an orphan. She didn't even get to see her father's face. I want justice," he said, his voice choked with emotion.
