“My dear son went to Dhaka for a dengue test. He even called me over mobile phone on Friday morning and asked for Tk 3,000. I can’t send him that money anymore. O Allah, where did you take my golden boy? How will I pass my days without him now? I couldn’t see my son even three days after his death. Oh Allah, take me now.”
This is how 45-year-old Renuza Begum was wailing after hearing the news of her son, Rezaul, 21. Passerby Rezaul died during the clashes between two groups of Awami League who were returning from the peace rally of Awami in the capital's Gulistan.
A hafez of Quran, Rezaul was the elder son of farmer Abdus Sattar from Narayankhola Pachhimpara village under Choraustadhar union parishad of Nakla upazila in Sherpur and a Dawra student at a madras in the capital’s Jatrabari.
The Nakla police informed Azharul Islam, uncle of Rezaul, about the death of his nephew over SMS on Saturday morning and police requested them to collect the body from Dhaka.
Rezaul’s parents became speechless hearing the news of their son’s sudden death. They also expressed discontent over not receiving their son’s body even after three days.
Locals said Rezaul was very gentle and not involved in politics. He went to Dhaka to study Dawra-e-Hadith in Dhaka after completing his education in Jamia Faizur Rahman Madrasa in Mymensingh.
He came home several days before Eid-ul-Azha after being infected with dengue, but he returned to the capital on Thursday for a dengue test.
Rezaul’s house lies at the bank of Mirgi river, a tributary of Brahmaputra river, nearby Narayankhola Paschim Adarsha high school. The house is in a desolate place with no other house nearby. During a visit to his house this afternoon, it was found that a grave is being prepared at the family graveyard south of the house.
Flanked by a host of relatives and neighbours, Rezaul’s mother Renuza Begum was found wailing. His father Abdus Sattar fell unconcious repeatedly. The neighbours were sprinkling water on his face in a bid to revive him to consciousness. Rezaul’s two elder sisters and uncle went to Dhaka to bring the body. They hired an ambulance but did not get the body as of this afternoon.
“I had to undergo a lot of difficulties to educate him. I even talked with him on Friday afternoon. My son asked for three thousand taka to have the dengue test done. I could not send the money as shops in the village were shut on Friday. The following day I heard that my son is no more. What was my son's fault? He was not involved with any political party, why did they kill him? I appeal to the prime minister to punish those who killed my son.”
Neighbor and relative Bandez Ali said Rezaul was a cheerful young man. His younger brother is also a hafez. He was not involved in politics. Rezaul would conduct Khatam Tarabi prayer in the month of Ramadan in the local mosque.
Such a boy has been killed without any reason. It is unfortunate that no one from administration or no people’s representatives except for the local union chairman contacted the family after his death, Bandez Ali said.
Freedom fighter Golam Rabbani, the chairman of Chor Austadhar union parishad, said Rezaul was a very gentle and pious young man. His father had to struggle a lot to educate him. It is tough to accept Rezaul died this way.