News Flash
MUNSHIGANJ, Jan 5, 2025 (BSS) – Police used excessive force to suppress protests called by the Anti-discrimination student movement but massive scale of brutality carried by law enforcement agencies ultimately shattered humanity.
The entire nation was shaken when some protesters were killed by police on July 16 that eventually sparked protest across the country as people of the country could not absorb ruthless crackdown on peaceful demonstration.
Md Mehedi aged 20 joined the movement as students of almost all educational institutions took to streets for gearing up their protest.
The entire country was boiled with anger of protesters as the then Awami League government-led by autocratic ruler Sheikh Hasina started barbaric massacre during the history July movement.
Parents of Mehedi always had a dream to make their only son an engineer. But their dreams have been shattered as their son was killed on July 20.
It has been five months since Mehedi was shot dead by police during the student-led mass uprising, but his grandmother is still waiting for her beloved grandchildren. She is waiting for her grandson to come and call her “Granny.”.
As a member of a lower-middle-class family, Mehedi started his struggle during his student life, and finally he sacrificed his life with a hope to build a discrimination-free society.
While talking to the BSS correspondent at their residence located at Jhaochar village under Sonargaon upazila in Narayanganj, Md Sanaullah, 52, who is a third-class employee at Bashundhara Paper Mill, said Mehedi was elder among his two siblings.
Mehedi spent his entire childhood at his maternal grandparents’ house. After passing SSC from Sonargaon Shilponagar High School, he was studying in the 2nd year at Gazaria Institute of Science & Technology, GIST Polytechnic.
Shilpi Begum, 45, mother of Mehedi, said, “On July 20, Mehedi went out of our house, saying that he would come home soon to have lunch with us… But he did not come; he could not keep his promise.”
“My son was killed while protesting against the previous autocratic government… All of our hopes have been faded with his demise. What was the crime of Mehedi? Why did they kill my son?”
“I want exemplary punishment of those who killed my son,” she continued.
Mehedi’s father said, “Mehedi was shot in the Hirajheel Residential area…A large portion of his brain was come out as the killers shot him in the head.”
“Around 7 pm, one person phoned me and told me that my son was shot on the Chittagong road. When we reached there, we found our only son lying on the road, and his entire body was drenched with blood.”
“Then local people covered his body with polythene,” he was crying while narrating that day’s pathetic incident.
“Then police not only fired on my son, they also kicked him even after his death,” he started sobbing.
The family of Mehedi took his body to their native village and buried it there after a namaz-e-janaza.
Mehedi’s grandmother sometimes touches the books that were kept on his reading table to feel the touch of her beloved grandchild.
She could not stop herself from crying while she was talking about Mehedi.
While wiping her tears, she said, “Mehedi was the only son in our family; we raised him with so much care and love… the almighty Allah will punish them, who killed my grandchild.”
Nirjona, elder sister of Mehedi, said, “All of our family members used to love Mehedi so much. He was very brilliant. He got GPA-5 at PEC. That’s why we had a dream to make him an engineer.”
“As we are not solvent, Mehedi used to do tuition to continue his study….We are feeling helpless after his death.”
She demanded exemplary punishment of the killers of Mehedi.