By Syed Altefat Hossain  

DHAKA, Jan 5, 2025 (BSS) – Septuagenarian Syed Gaziur Rahman, a retired Bangladesh Bank deputy director, became bewildered after losing his only child in the anti-discrimination student movement that ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina ending nearly 16 years of her authoritarian rule.

Syed Muntasir Rahman, an 11th grader at Tamirul Millat Kamil Madrasah, was the only child of Syed Gaziur Rahman and Shirin Sultana (55). He left his home to join the historic “March to Dhaka Programme” on August 5 during the anti-discrimination student movement, but never returned home.

Muntasir was shot dead in front of Jatrabari Police Station around 12.30pm as he along with thousand others attempted to break through police barricades to join the march in Shahbag in the city, against the authoritarian rule of Sheikh Hasina.

The movement succeeded in ousting the nearly 16 years of autocracy, but he couldn’t witness the victory of the cause he fought for. A bullet pierced through his head, cutting short the life of a promising youth with dreams of a brighter future, just one or two hours before the final victory.

His untimely death caused an irreparable loss to his parents as they have no other child to console them.

“I don’t know what kind of exam Almighty Allah is taking from us. Muntasir was our only child. Allah fulfilled our long cherished dream by gifting him,” mourning Gaziur said in a composed tone while he was trying to control his emotion.

At a recent interview with BSS at his Kutubkhali residence in Jatrabari, Gaziur, shattered by the loss, recalled his son’s dedication to social causes and his role in the anti-discrimination student movement.

Muntasir’s grieving father shared that his son was often seen at the forefront of the protest, proudly wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the national flag and tying a flag around his head.
 
Despite the life risks, Muntasir showed unwavering determination, defying police crackdowns and standing firm for the cause he was fighting.
 
On the morning of August 5, his parents attempted to keep him home, fearing for his safety.
 
“On the day of his martyrdom, we confined him at home, but at one point, I went to the washroom, and he left the house despite his mother’s objection,” Muntasir’s father recalled.
 
“At one point, there was an argument between mother and son, Muntasir’s mother warned him that if he went to movement on that day, he would not be allowed to enter home,” a saddened Gaziur said, adding, at that time Muntasir replied, “I will not return today”. Tragically, his words turned true.

“As we didn’t allow him to join the march in the early hours, Muntasir joined the procession late and missed his usual companions,” Muntasir’s father said in a sobbing tone.
 
Gaziur said his son was participating in the anti-discrimination student movement from the beginning of the quota reform movement. But Muntasir used to return for Zohr prayer, he said, adding, but he did not return that day, even after Asr.
 
“As we were busy with helping the people who were being killed and injured in the Kajla area, police was firing bullets indiscriminately at the cheerful people after Sheikh Hasina fled the country. I thought my son would return after celebrating the victory,” Gaziur said, adding, but after Asr prayers anxiety engulfed him and he started searching for his son.
 
After hours of desperate searching in nearby hospitals, Gaziur went to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) by 8pm overcoming troubles across the streets as “till then massacre was being carried out by police”.
 
Later, with the help of one of his cousins, who is a DMCH employee, Gaziur said he found his son in a pile of corpses in the morgue. Muntasir’s body was under a large number of lifeless bodies, he added.
 
“Finally, we retrieved my son’s lifeless body without a postmortem or death certificate and laid him to eternal rest in our family graveyard in Nangalkot Upazila in Comilla on August 6,” Gaziur said with a broken heart.
 
Describing his son as a promising youth, he said Muntasir was involved in various social works while he used to write in different magazines for children. 

“My son passed the Dakhil examination this year, securing GPA-5 from Tamirul Millat Kamil Madrasah, Mirhazirbag. After his exams, I proposed to him to go to the village home. But he didn’t follow my proposal; rather he enrolled in English language and computer courses to enhance his skills,” Gaziur recalled with a heavy overwhelmed with grief.
 
“My son had a dream of getting admission into Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) after completing Alim (HSC). But, fascist Hasina killed my son,” he said in a sobbing tone.
 
Gaziur said he filed a case over his son’s killing. “I demand capital punishment of those who killed my son,” he said.