‘What is the use of being alive if my child is no more?’

Family, relatives and neighbours cannot accept the death of the private university Zahidul Islam over a trifling matter. They demanded immediate arrests of the killers and capital punishment for them.

Earlier on Saturday afternoon, a group of youths stabbed to death Zahidul Islam, 22, a textile engineering student at Primeasia University, in front of the university over making suggestive laughter about two women. Zahidul Islam was from Kiachan village of No. 5 Birunia union in Bhaluka upazila of Mymensingh. His father Jasim Uddin is a Kuwait expatriate.

His friends took to social media platform, Facebook, demanding trial for the killing of Zahidul.

Prothom Alo correspondent visited his village and saw people rushing to Zahidul’s home to console his parents. PA announcements were also heard on the timing of his namaj-e-janaza at the Birunia bazar.

Jasim Uddin has been staying in Kuwait for about nine years. He recently constructed a one-storied house for the family. Since his father lives aboard, Zahidul oversaw the entire construction work singlehandedly. Hearing the news of his son’s death, Jasim Uddim left Kuwait on Saturday night and arrived at home at 7:00 am on Sunday.

Visiting their house on Sunday afternoon, relatives were seen consoling Jasim Uddin and his wife Parvin Akater, who fainted repeatedly because of losing his son. “Bring me those who killed my son. I want to ask them what was the crime of my son. Why did they kill my beloved son?” a crying Parvin Akater said.

As the mother became ill, relatives called a physician in the afternoon.

Jasim Uddin said, “I ended my entire life for my sons. I never looked at the money. I sent my son to a private university to study engineering. I spend all of my income for my two sons. There are few people in our area who are as meritorious as my two sons.”

“Why did they kill my son brutally? What was his crime? They could have killed me. What is the use of being alive if my child is no more? What would I do with this house? Had they broken his limbs, I could have heard him calling me father. I want exemplary punishments for the killers of my son. If the killers face execution in public, the soul of my son will be happy,” he added.

Zahidul’s father Jasim Uddin was a member of Chattra Dal’s Birunia union committee in 2003. Zahidul was also involved with Jatiyatabadi Chattra Dal in the local area, according to Jahangir Alam, who is the assistant expatriate welfare secretary of Mymensingh district’s Juba Dal unit and a former president of Chattra Dal’s Birunia union.

Zahidul studied in Dhaka, but was active in the politics of Chattra Dal in his village. His entire family is involved with the politics of BNP, Jahangir Alam said demanding a trial to this killing.

Meanwhile, the body of Zahidul arrived in the village around 4:15 pm on Sunday. Villagers gathered at his house to see him for last time.

Leaders and members of the upazila Chattra Dal blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Bhaluka and staged demonstrations, demanding trial for the killing of Zahidul.

They brought out a protest procession from Bhaluka bus stand around 2:00 pm, paraded various places and ended at the bus stand.

The protest caused a long traffic jam on the highway. Later, protesters cleared the road upon assurances of police from Bhaluka model police station, and highway police.

Bhaluka model police station assistant sub-inspector Aminul Islam said police rushed to the spot immediately after learning about the blockade on the highway.

The traffic became normal after clearing leaders and members of the Chattra Dal from the roads, he added.