By Syed Altefat Hossain

DHAKA, Oct 29, 2024 (BSS) – Shaheed Miraz Hossain, a promising freelancer, went out of his house in Demra area here in the morning of August 5 with a hope of returning to his parents with a new message of ending around 16 year-long fascist regime.

But the irony of fate was that though the fascist regime collapsed on that day with the downfall of autocratic ruler Sheikh Hasina, Miraz could not enjoy the victory as he was shot dead by police in the afternoon on the same day.

According to his family members, Miraz (30) was always vocal against injustice since his student life. He was an active participant in the anti-quota student movement in 2018. Therefore, when the students waged the anti-discrimination student movement this year, he did not take a while to join the street protest.

“My brother actively took part in the 2018 anti-quota movement. And this year, he was on the streets from the beginning of the student movement until his martyrdom,” said Miraz’s bereaved younger brother Pavel Hossain.

Apart from joining the protest, Miraz used to inspire his friends to participate in the movement and conducted massive campaigns through his social media platforms like facebook and YouTube.

Shaon Al Mahmud, one of Miraz’s childhood friends and classmates, said like other days during the movement, in the morning of August 5, Miraz phoned all of his friends and assembled them at Shanir Akhra point of Jatrabari area.

There he bought national flags for all of his friends with his own money and started marching towards Shahbag to join the ‘March to Dhaka’ programme declared by the anti-discrimination student movement breaking the curfew enforced by the Awami League government.

Shaon said when they reached Kajla, they saw police firing bullets indiscriminately from the toll plaza of Mayor Hanif Flyover.

At that time some people, most probably police, were seen sniping at protesters from the roof of a building from a long distance near Jatrabari police station, he added.

However, around 1.30pm to 2pm, police were seen stepping back towards the police station and those snipers were also getting down off the roof as news was spread among the people that Sheikh Hasina might have stepped down, he added.

“Though we were not confirmed whether the news was correct, some of our friends returned home from there, but Miraz was steadfast to go to Shahbag,” Shaon said.

“Miraz was fearless on the day,” he said, adding, when all were trying to hide them to escape the bullets, Miraz did not do so.

“Soon after we reached in front of Jatrabari Police Station around 2.45pm, police cars outside the station had been set ablaze.

 And suddenly we saw bullets bursting by our sides. I ran and went to the opposite side of the police station. But Miraz did not run,” Shaon said.

At that time police were sniping at anyone appearing from the roof of the police station building, he said, adding, at that time Miraz sustained the bullet injury on the right side of his chest.

Later, Shaon said, he was trying to reach Miraz over phone when a rickshaw puller received the phone and informed him that Miraz was shot and first asked him to go to a diagnostic centre in Jatrabari.

Later the rickshaw puller asked him to go to Mitford Hospital where the duty doctor declared Miraz dead.

As a horrifying situation was prevailing across the city streets on that day, he said, “None of Miraz’s family could manage to reach the hospital. Therefore, I received his body from the hospital completing all procedures”.

Shaheed Miraz was a rising star on freelancing, but a bullet cut short his promising life leaving his family distraught.

 He was the main earning source of his family as his father- Abdur Rab, a private car driver- used to struggle to run the family with his earnings.

“My brother mainly contributed to our family with his income from freelancing,” said Miraz’s brother Pavel in an emotion choked voice, adding, they are currently a three-member family, including his father and mother. His only sister has already been married off.
Following the martyrdom of Miraz, his father Abdur Rab and mother Momtaz Begum became bewildered as they still cannot return to normal life.

As Miraz was a shining freelancer, he used to work on his laptop sitting on a chair keeping his computer on a table in the front room of his house.

While visiting the house, it was observed that Miraz’s all belongings were in the same place where he used to keep them.

 His laptop was seen still open on the left side of the table while Bluetooth connection, eyewear and wrist watch were kept on the right side of the table.

His table also contained a photo of his participation in the movement and a memento given to his family following his martyrdom.

Though the chair, table and computer remained at their own places, the man who used to use these things is no more that created a permanent void in Miraz's family.

Miraz’s father was losing control of his emotions when he was showing Miraz’s belongings, even his blood stained shirt.

 He kept these at their places as he still felt Miraz was working sitting there. He said he along with his wife used to cry holding these things as they cannot forget the memories of their son.

“I can never forget my son’s memory . . . he was like a friend. How can I forget that when I was helping other injured people  in the Kajla area to go to hospital, my son was lying down under Mayor Hanif Flyover with a bullet in his chest?” Rab said and burst into tears.

Noting that Miraz had breakfast with two pieces of bread with egg mamlet on the morning of August 5, he said, “After having breakfast, my son went to join the movement around 8am.

 Who knew it would be his last meal?”

During the movement, his father said, Miraz used to say where is the scope to sit idle when people like rickshaw pullers are on the streets.

“We will free the country and make it independent (again) to keep its people well,” Rab quoted his son as he told them. 
 
He said Miraz always thought about the wellbeing of the country and its people and he was a benevolent personality.  

Miraz had a dream of pursuing higher education abroad and contributing to the country, Rab said, adding, “My son used to tell me, Abba (dad) please endure sorrow for some more days, once I go abroad, all your sorrows will be wiped out”.

Rab is still now traumatized since Miraz’s demise.

 “I cannot work now as I am physically and mentally unstable. I cannot find peace anywhere as memories of my son hunt me everywhere,” Miraz’s weeping father said.

About martyrs of the uprising, he said student coordinators might have no list of those people killed on August 5. He urged the government to include names of those, who were killed in Chittagong Road, Signboard, Shanir Akhra, Rayerbag and Jatrabari areas, during the uprising in the martyr list.

“If you give me the whole country I will get no peace. When we will see names of our sons in the martyrs’ lists, it will blow peace in our hearts,” Rab said.

He also urged the government to make a list of injured people so that all can stand beside them and demanded justice for the mass killing.

“All people responsible for mass killing, including those who ordered the police to kill people, must be identified and brought to justice,” Rab said.

Recalling his memory with his elder brother, Miraz’s younger brother Pavel said they used to sleep together.

“We never slept without each other.

 I badly miss my brother when I go to bed everyday . . . I miss him. I was in trauma for one months and I was always crying for him,” he added.

He still now feels his brother’s existence, Pavel said, “I cannot think that he is no more among us and will never come to us”.