Shraban Gazi. Photo: BSS

By Rupokur Rahman

SAVAR, Feb 15, 2025 (BSS) – Shraban Gazi went to Malaysia to pursue higher education in January last year. He got admitted into Tunku Abdul Rahman University under bachelor (honours) programme in Software Engineering.

But the fortune didn’t favour Shraban as “he was shot dead” during the July Uprising, tragically ending his dream of becoming a software engineer from a foreign university when he returned home to enjoy his vacation with his family.

Twenty-two-year-old Shraban returned home from Malaysia on July 16 and subsequently joined the Anti-discrimination student movement that had already turned into a student-people uprising by that time aimed at terminating the nearly 16-year-fascist regime.

According to his family members, Shraban took part in the movement regularly after returning home. But he was hit by a bullet on his head in front of the New Market at the Savar Bazar bus stand on August 5. When the locals took him to Savar Gonoshasthaya Kendra Hospital, he breathed his last there.

Shraban’s family had a big dream centering him, but his martyrdom in the uprising shattered the dream of his family. His parents and only younger sister were left in mourning for the loss of their ever-smiling and talented child.

Shraban was the eldest among two children of Mannan Gazi (47) and Shahnaz Begum (40) of Sandeep village in Savar's Dairy Farm area. His only younger sister Mahima Elahi (11) is a fourth-grader at a local school.

“My son was very talented from childhood. We never had to tell him about his studies,” Shraban’s grief stricken father, Mannan, told BSS.

Shraban secured very good results in SSC and HSC exams, Mannan said, adding, but he decided to go to Malaysia to study as he couldn’t get a chance at any public university in the country.

“Thinking about the future of our child, we did not disagree with him. In January 2024, he left the country for Malaysia and got enrolled in Software Engineering under bachelor (honours) programme at the Tunku Abdul Rahman University,” he said with a heavy heart weighed down with grief.

Mannan said Shraban’s study was going well, but when the anti-discrimination student movement started in the country, he used to inquire about it and communicate with his friends here.

At one stage, he came home on July 16 and was supposed to return to Malaysia after enjoying vacation for a few days.

“But the bullets of the cohorts of the fascist ruined the dream of our Shraban. Our entire family is now distraught at the death of Shraban. We all are now bewildered by losing our only son,” Mannan said in a sobbing tone.

On August 5, Shraban left their home around 10.40 am to join the ‘March to Dhaka Programme’.

Mannan was watching TV at a nearby shop after offering Zohor prayers when the TV channel was airing the news of the fall of the autocratic government at that time.

“Around 2.30 pm, someone called me on my mobile phone and wanted to know about Shraban’s whereabouts. After getting the call, my heart trembled. I asked the person, who are you? What happened to my Shraban?” Grieving Mannan said in an emotion choked voice.

“That person told me that Shraban was shot and asked me to go to Savar Gonoshasthaya Kendra Hospital quickly,” he said.

Mannan recalled he rushed to the hospital through allies of C&B and Ashulia’s Aragaon instead of the main road as a terrible situation was prevailing across the roads.

He recounted that there were police at different spots on the Dhaka-Aricha highway. Traffic was stopped. Panic was still prevailing throughout Savar. The sound of gunfire was coming from different directions.

“However, by the time I reached the hospital, everything was over,” Mannan lamented.
“I was bewildered seeing my son Shraban Gazi’s lifeless body lying on a stretcher in the hospital. Later, I took my son's body home,” he recalled the heartbreaking moment.

According to Shraban’s neighbours, he was a good hearted person and had a cordial relationship with everyone. Therefore, everyone loved him. Thus his death cast a shadow of grief over the entire area. Everyone expressed grief over his death.

Mannan said Shraban was laid to his eternal rest at the Savar Dairy Farm graveyard.

Shraban’s father demanded capital punishment for those responsible for his death. Mannan said they filed a murder case over Shraban’s killing.  

Shraban’s grieving mother Shahnaz Begum said, “It is a matter of good luck to have a son like my Shraban in today's society. Our son was very good. But the killers shot and killed my son”.

The family of Shraban received Taka 5 lakh from the July Shaheed Smrity Foundation, Taka 25,000 from BNP and Taka 2 lakh from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami as financial assistance.