Photo: BSS

SATKHIRA, June 16, 2025 (BSS) - Hafez Anas Billah, a 17-year-old madrasa student from Pratappur village in the district's Assasuni upazila, stepped out of his house on the afternoon of August 5, 2024, to celebrate the victory following the downfall of the nearly 16-year autocratic rule of Sheikh Hasina.

But the moment of triumph turned into an unspeakable tragedy when Anas was fatally shot, allegedly by Awami League loyalists.

Anas, a Dakhil examinee at Kakbhashia Madinatul Ulum Fazil Madrasa, had a dream that after finishing his studies, he would work abroad one day. But fate took a cruel turn - the young boy's life was cut short, and his dreams perished with him.

He was the second of three sons of Abdul Arez, 50, a poor shopkeeper who sells pots and pans in Talatala Bazaar. His mother, Anwara Khatun, 40, is a housewife. His elder brother Arif Billah, 25, is a Fazil Madrasa student, and his youngest brother Ahsan Ullah is only 4.5 years old.

Anas' elder brother, Arif, recalled that after Sheikh Hasina fled the country on August 5, local students and residents brought out a victory procession at Talatala Bazaar in Pratappur. Anas and his friends joined the procession with thousands of cheering people.

When the procession reached in front of local Awami League leader and former chairman Zakir Hossain's residence in Nakna village, after parading Fultala Bazaar and Kalyanpur Bazaar, "Awami League-backed terrorists opened fire indiscriminately on the peaceful procession," Arif recalled with grief.

"Three bullets struck my brother. One hit his abdomen and damaged his kidney, another pierced his chest, and the third struck his right arm. He lost a lot of blood and died on the way to Satkhira Medical College Hospital," Arif tearfully said.

Despite financial hardship, Anas was deeply committed to his studies and had completed his Hifz (Qur'an memorization). "We are yet to recover from the loss. My parents still sit and wait, hoping Anas will return home," Arif said in an emotion-choked voice.

The family, entirely dependent on the meager income of Arez, received financial support from the July Shaheed Smrity Foundation, Jamaat-e-Islami, and the Women and Children Affairs Ministry since Anas' death.

Anas' mother, Anwara Khatun, burst into tears as this correspondent approached her about her martyred son.
"My son had lunch at home and then went to the shop. I served him his meal with love. Then he left. I had no idea he would never come back. I can't accept my son's death in any way. I am still awaiting his return," she wailed.

Anwara demanded capital punishment for those who killed her son.

Abdul Arez, now aged and emotionally broken, remembered watching the breaking news on TV in his shop that Sheikh Hasina had boarded a plane and fled the country.

"Watching the news, I came out of the shop to see people's happiness. I saw my eldest son sitting on a van. But my youngest son, Anas Billah, was not there. Meanwhile, many people told me, 'Shopkeeper, today feels like Eid. Please give us something to eat.' I immediately gave them puffed rice and chanachur," he said.

He added with heavy grief: "Moments later, I heard that my son, Anas, had joined the victory procession when Awami League leader Zakir and his supporters opened fire on the procession."

Arez said that when he was running toward Zakir's home, one of his neighbors picked him up on a motorcycle and told him that Anas had been shot in the chest.

"Right then, I realized that my son was no more," he lamented.
Arez said on the way to the scene, he met some people at Bamnadanga who were taking Anas to hospital. There, a local doctor, Khairuzzaman, confirmed that Anas had died.

"Thus, we took Anas' body home instead of going to the hospital and buried him at our family graveyard after his namaj-e-janaza," said a weeping Arez.

He, however, demanded justice for his son's killing. "I leave justice in the hands of Almighty Allah," he said.