Photo: Collected

By Md Aynal Haque

RAJSHAHI, July 20, 2025 (BSS)- Minarul, 27, and his wife Nureshan Khatun, 25, had to wait for more than eight years to get a baby and the cherished moment came. But, ironically, Minarul couldn't see the sweet face of his newborn.

On July 20 last year, Minarul was shot dead by police during the anti-discrimination students' movement at Siddhirganj in Narayanganj. A resident of Guljarbag (Guripara) area in Rajshahi city, Minarul was a garments worker in Narayanganj at that time.

Minarul sustained bullet-wounds when he took part in the movement on that day and his co-fighters took him to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

He was an active participant in the movement. Therefore, when the students waged the anti-discrimination student movement, he actively joined the protest.  

Particularly, the mother of Minarul, Dolly Begum and wife Nureshan Khatun are still in shock after Minarul's death. The grieving mother and wife demanded the death penalty of the killers.
Wife Nureshan Khatun was a seven-month pregnant and she gave birth to a baby-son after two months and nine days of her husband's death. Now, the baby, Minhajul Islam Saifan, is nine months old.
Mother Dolly Begum and two rickshaw-puller brothers, Sohel Rana and Nazmul, are the family members of martyred Minarul.

Talking to BSS here on Saturday, Dolly Begum said they received a call from Minarul's phone after a few times of his sustaining bullet-wounds and they became extremely shocked and mum after getting news of his death.
On the following day when his body reached their house, local Awami League leader and Ward Councilor of Rajshahi City Corporation Rajab Ali pressed them to declare that the death had been caused by a road accident.

Dolly Begum recalled that the body was buried instantly due to the then political pressure.

After the fall of the fascist Awami League regime, the brother of the deceased Nazmul Haque had lodged a case with Siddhirganj Police Station on September 3, 2024. 
Former Mayor of Narayanganj City Corporation Dr Selina Hayat Ivy was arrested on May 8 this year in connection with the case.
 
After the death of her husband, Nureshan Khatun with her son took shelter in her parental house at Faradpur village under Godagari Upazila in the district. Daylabour father Saidul Islam has been struggling to run his family with his limited income. 

He said: "My son-in-law has been shot-dead and the grandson remains sick frequently. We can't afford to bear medical expenses properly".
"I miss my husband when I go to bed everyday. I am feeling his absence. I was in trauma for over the last one year and I was always crying for him,” she added.
 Mentioning that she still feels her husband's existence, Nishat said, “I cannot think that he is no more among us and will never come to us”. "If my husband remained alive, the future of my son was different. My son is my life and I will live with him," she added.

In this connection, she said government support is needed for growing up son.

She said: "I cannot find peace anywhere as memories of my husband haunt me everywhere."  Particularly, those who ordered the Awami League leaders and workers to kill people, all people responsible for the mass killing must be brought to justice through proper identification.
 "He was on the streets from the beginning of the student movement …  Subsequently, he embraced martyrdom to free the people of the country from discrimination, the shackles of oppression and the ruthless regime of autocratic ruler Sheikh Hasina,”  said Nureshan.

She demanded exemplary punishment to the killers and the instigators as early as possible.