By Syed Altefat Hossain
 
DHAKA, Nov 4, 2024 (BSS) - Md Rohan Ahmad Khan, an HSC examinee, who had a dream of becoming a military officer, embraced martyrdom on July 19 when the anti-discrimination movement was getting a shape with countrywide outrage.

Like Rohan, many teenagers joined the movement -- defying love, affection and profound bond of parents -- that turned the protest into a student-people movement and ousted autocratic ruler Sheikh Hasina ending her 16-year-long fascist regime.

A bullet pierced through Rohan's chest around 2.30pm on that day, soon after he reached the Kajla area to distribute water bottles among the protesters of anti-discrimination student movement.

Eighteen-year-old Rohan was a highly ambitious and benevolent personality since his childhood. He won the hearts of his neighbors, friends, teachers and fellows with his behavior.

Therefore, the early demise of Rohan, cast a pall of gloom and sorrow over his neighborhood in the city and even in his village in Chandpur district.
 
Rohan's father Md Sultan Khan, who is running a grocery shop near his residence in Guwalbari More area of Dania in Jatrabari, said when Rohan's body was taken to Baitus Salam Mosque beside his residence, people from all strata thronged there and showed their love for him.
 
"Though we took the body only to let the neighbors have a last glimpse of him, thousands of people, including Rohan's classmates, friends and teachers thronged the mosque and arranged the first namaz-e-janaza there," Rohan's bereaved father said.
 
After successfully passing the SSC from AK High School in 2022, he was enrolled in Dania College. After appearing in seven exams in this year's HSC examination from the science group, due to his illness, he could not appear at an examination.
 
As a result, he failed in this year's HSC examination since (the results were published based on those exams which were held), but he got GPA 5 in all three science-related subjects and secured GPA- 4 in the remaining three subjects.
 
About Rohan's engagement in the movement, his mother Monira Begum, an informal Arabic teacher, said Rohan was taking part in the movement from the first day but they did not know about it.
 
"On the first day, he took part in the movement telling me that he was going to a programme at his college. But, on July 16, I heard from the mother of one of my students that Rohan was seen taking part in the anti-discrimination student movement," she said.

When she asked him about his participation in the movement, at first Rohan denied it.

Rohan's weeping mother said while revisiting memories, "As I was trying to convince him so that he should not go to the movement, Rohan tried to persuade me.

Rohan said, "I should join the movement as many of my brothers participated. . . I cannot stay at home," she recalled.

On July 17, Rohan joined the protest and was injured with brickbats. On that day, he confessed to me that he went to the movement and was talking about doing an X-ray of his leg.

"But I told him that I will not do the X-ray. Because after recovering, you will again go to the movement. Hearing my words, he smiled at me and wanted to eat noodles," Rohan's sobbing mother said.
 
At that time, Rohan was trying to convince his mother about the significance of joining the movement, Rohan's bereaved mother said, adding, "At one stage, I showed anger with him. Therefore, he did not go to the movement on July 18".
 
But Abu Sayeed and Mir Mugdho's martyrdom shocked him badly Monira said, adding, "In the evening of July 18, Rohan was trying to convince me saying "please, look at Abu Sayeed and Mugdho. They were killed. If we all stay at home and bar each other from joining the movement, how will we achieve the independence?'"

"But when I was not convinced, he asked me, "Are you a Razakar of this time?" Hearing this I lost all my words to give reply to him," Rohan's weeping said.

In the morning of July 19 (Friday), Monira said, her son helped her in completing household chores until azan for Jummah prayers and then he wanted to know what was cooked for lunch.

Noting that Rohan used to love eating Biryani , his sobbing mother said, "But I told him, today I have to do a lot of work. Therefore, I did not cook Biryani, you should eat plain rice with Pabda fish today".

She added: "Still I cannot console my mind that I could not feed my son his favorite food before his death."

 Then Rohan went to the mosque to offer Jummah prayers and returned home.
 
After coming to the house, Monira said, Rohan put off his Panjabi and took student ID card, wallet, pocket tissue and gate's key and went out of home around 2.05pm to join the protest.
 
"But around 2.25pm to 2.30pm, an anonymous man informed me over phone that Rohan was critically injured and asked me to go to Mitford Hospital," she burst into tears while saying this.
 
She said hearing the news she somehow informed her husband and lost her conscience.
 
Recalling Rohan's excitement for the movement, his mother said Rohan recited the verse "I will be the key of the movement, you will claim the throne" throughout the night of Thursday (July 18).

 
When visiting Rohan's residence -- all his books and belongings, including a photo with the scout's uniform and a tribute from Bangladesh Scouts -- were seen on his table.

A Holy Quran was seen on the table which he used to recite. His mother did not displace the book mark which Rohan kept to mark his recitation.
 
"Now I recite this Quran, but I did not remove the book mark of my son," Monira said in a heavy voice.

She said Rohan's father and elder brother received the body from the hospital and buried him in their village graveyard in Chandpur Sadar upazila on July 20 following his two more namaz-e-janaza there.
 
Rohan's father Md Sultan said Rohan was younger among his two children. He was highly ambitious about joining the Bangladesh Army.

"Because of his willingness to join the military, he joined Bangladesh Scouts as he believed that his involvement with scouts would help him to get admission as an army officer," Rohan's father said in an emotion-choked voice.

"Rohan was like a dream for me. He used to help me in running my grocery shop. Apart from his studies, he also used to help his mother in household chores," Sultan said in a heavy voice.

Rohan's hobby was travelling to different countries, especially he used to talk about his plan of visiting India and Australia, he said.

"However, I had a plan of sending my two sons abroad after completing their studies with a hope of leading a happy life in future. But after losing my younger son, now it is impossible for me to send my elder son abroad," he said.

He said now if the government gives Rohan's elder brother- Md Rahat Ahmad Khan, who is studying in (honors) third year in accounting at RK Chowdhury University College in the city, a good job, it will help him to run the family properly.

Expressing grief over his son's early departure, Rohan's sobbing father said, "Since we lost him, everything in our family has stopped. We pray to almighty Allah so that He accepts Rohan's martyrdom and gives him Jannatul Ferdous."

While recalling memories of his younger brother, Rahat breathed a sigh of grief and said Rohan's memory is haunting him continuously.

"I cannot forget him for a while. I feel him throughout the day," grieving Rahat burst into tears while saying this.

Recalling Rohan's vibrant activity, Rahat said his brother always tried to help people as he believed that it was his duty as a member of Bangladesh Scouts.

Sometimes, Rohan went out of the house at night to donate blood or manage blood for critical patients, he said, adding, "If we asked him about his late night return, he used to say, "Just think, if you fall in an accident at night and need blood, could we sit idle at home?'"

Noting that top officials of Bangladesh Scouts visited their house after Rohan's martyrdom, Rahat said, Bangladesh Scouts gave a tribute certificate over Rohan's martyrdom.

While visiting the website of Bangladesh Scouts, it was observed that a banner photo was being displayed on the website paying tributes to the members of scouts, who embraced martyrdom in the student-people uprising including Rohan.

Rahat said Rohan joined the movement with the spirit of Bangladesh Scouts that was -- standing beside people during any crisis or disaster.

Being inspired by Mugdho, also a member of Bangladesh Scouts, Rohan was distributing water and biscuits among the protesters too.

On the day of his martyrdom, he wanted Taka 300 for buying water for the protesters.

"We are not stable since we lost Rohan. We don't know how we are passing time. We want justice for killing Rohan and other people during the uprising," said Rahat.