By Syed Altefat Hossain

DHAKA, Dec 20, 2024 (BSS) - Abdul Rakib, a 22-year-old youth with mental disability, joined the historic 'March to Dhaka Programme' on August 5 aimed at freeing the country from the nearly 16-year-long fascist regime.

Before leaving, he made a heartfelt request to his septuagenarian mother Ajifa Khatun: "Maa, please cook beef. I will eat rice with beef when I return after freeing the country."

Despite not fully understanding the political intricacies, he was inspired by the people around him. "I will free the country in exchange of my blood," he had told his mother Ajifa Khatun.

The movement was successful in overthrowing autocratic ruler Sheikh Hasina, however, Rakib never returned to his mother who was waiting for his return, cooking beef to eat with him.

A devoted son and caregiver to his widowed mother Ajifa, Rakib was shot dead in front of Jatrabari Police Station when he joined the victory procession along with thousand others following the downfall of autocratic ruler Sheikh Hasina.

"I cooked beef and was waiting for my son's return to eat rice with him. But around 8pm, some people came to me and said my son was shot dead," grief- stricken Ajifa burst into tears while recounting her heartbreaking moment at her Roisnagar residence in Rayerbag area of Jatrabari in the capital.

Since Rakib's death, she is now living in the one-room tin-shed house alone. Rakib helped his mother by working at a local spice mill.

Even he had an naive belief that no one would harm him. "I offer five-time prayers every day. Everyone loves me. No one will harm me," Rakib's mother quoted him as he told her when she was barring him from going to the movement.

However, the day ended in tragedy when police opened fire on cheering protesters at Jatrabari. Rakib was fatally hit in the chest.

Ajifa said, later, her daughter and a son went to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) and found Rakib's lifeless body lying on the floor among a number of bodies.

She said she can't sleep at night since Rakib's memories still haunt her. "My son used to knock on the gate at night, asking me to let him in. Now, no one knocks the door," she said with a cough and a visibly weak body.

"My health has deteriorated gradually since his death. May Allah grant my son as a martyr and place him in Jannatul Ferdous," weeping Ajifa said.

Rakib was the youngest among his six siblings- five brothers and one sister.

Being a landless and homeless family from Muradnagar Upazila in Cumilla, Rakib's four brothers -- Md Litan (46), a rickshaw-van puller, Md Amin (36), a rickshaw puller, Md Russell (34), a photographer and Md Hanif (30), a garment worker- are living in separate area with their families in the city.

His only sister Rabeya Khatun (38) is living in the city's Uttar Badda area. His father Idan Miah died few years back.

"As my other brothers are living in separate houses and struggling to make ends meet, my mother was living with Rakib. He had emerged as the only resort for her. Since his death, my mother has become very weak," said Rakib's sister Rabeya with a heavy heart.

Rakib joined the 'March to Dhaka Programme' around 11am in Rayerbag area, and eventually he joined the victory procession following the downfall of autocratic ruler Sheikh Hasina.

"In a video we saw, my brother was chanting slogans along with thousands of people in the Jatrabari area while another video revealed the heartbreaking scene where my brother's lifeless body was seen being taken by some people," she said in a composed tone, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"According to eyewitnesses and video footage, we confirmed that he was shot dead in front of Jatrabari Police Station around 2.30pm when police started indiscriminate firing at the cheering people on the streets," Rabeya said in a tearful tone.

In another video that went viral on social media, police were seen coming out from Jatrabari Police Station in troops, hunting down the protesters on the street and shooting them like birds.

Rabeya said later, they went to DMCH and found his lifeless body at the morgue after combing through rows of corpses for one and half hours. "But we don't know who took my brother's body to the hospital," Rabeya added.

Later, they received the body without a postmortem around 2am with the help of some students.

"The students helped us to get the body from the hospital. We had no money; these students managed an ambulance to bring my brother's body," she said, adding, after receiving the body, they observed a bullet pierced his chest, passing through his back.

They laid Rakib to eternal rest at Matuail Graveyard around 10am on August 6.

As Rakib was a person with mental disability, people of the locality used to love and care him.
"As my brother was mentally disabled, he could not understand the relationships. Therefore, he often called me "Bhabi (brother's wife) instead of Aapu (sister)," Rabeya said, adding, they had an extra care for him.

"He was very close to my mother's heart. We never thought he would be killed like this," she said in a sobbing tone.

The family calls for a fair trial to arrest the perpetrators for the loss of Rakib and countless others.

Md Kabir, the owner of spice making mill where Rakib worked, said Rakib used to help him in his work.

"He was a very good boy. I used to give him Taka 100 per day, which was their main source of income. Many people extended financial assistance for running his family.