By Md Aynal Haque

RAJSHAHI, Nov 3, 2024 (BSS)- “ Our hearts are still bleeding . . . we can still feel existence of Rahan,” wailing family members shared their agony revisiting memories of martyr Raihan.
     
Following the martyrdom of Raihan, his father Muslem Uddin and mother Rokhsana Begum became bewildered as they still cannot return to normal life.

Particularly, the mother of Raihan, Rokhsana Begum is still shell-shocked after her son's death. The grieving mother demanded the death penalty of the killers.

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

Raihan had a dream of pursuing higher education abroad and contributing to the country, Muslem 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”.

 Muslem, who used to sell labour on others farming fields, is still now traumatized since his son’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,” Raihan’s weeping father said.

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

“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 Rana Islam, 21, Raihan’s younger brother.

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

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

Raihan hailing from Mangalpara village under Puthiya Upazila in Rajshahi district.  His family is still confined in deep shock as he (Raihan) embraced martyrdom during the student-people mass uprising.
 
Raihan, who had always dreamt of becoming a chartered accountant, was organizing secretary of the city unit of ICS.

Family members said Raihan, 27, 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 always joined the street protests.

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

 Rezwan Ahmed Supta, one of Raihan’s childhood friends and classmates, said like other days during the movement, in the morning of August 5, Raihan phoned all of his friends and assembled them at Talaimary area.

 There he bought national flags for all of his friends with his own money and started marching towards Alupatty breaking the curfew enforced by the Awami League government.

On their way to the Alupatty, people of Awami League and Juba league opened fire on the students' procession by using snipers from the top of Swachh Tower, a 17-storey building beside the road, repeatedly.

At that time Raihan sustained the bullet injury on different parts of his body, including head, chest and abdomen. A horrifying situation was prevailing on the city streets at that time.

Some of his co-fighters tried to take him to Dhaka but failed due to the horrifying situation and finally rushed him to RMCH and admitted there in the afternoon.

 “My brother mainly contributed to our family in many ways,” said Raihan’s brother Rana in an emotion choked voice, adding, they are currently a three-member family, including his father and mother.