Martyred Faisal. Photo: Collected

 
By Saiful Islam

Dhaka, March 25, 2025 (BSS) - Faisal Sarkar had a dream to go to Japan on a student visa. But a brutal bullet from the assassin’s gun shattered all of Faisal’s dreams.
 To fulfill this dream, he worked hard and even learned the Japanese language. He had planned to move to his dream country following his HSC exams. He was about to submit all the necessary documents to the relevant offices.
 
 Faisal, the young dreamer, was killed by the deadly bullets of police  during the Anti-discrimination Student Movement, on July 19, 2024.
 
  That day, during the quota reform movement, Faisal was shot in the head in the Abdullahpur area of the capital. Although he embraced martyrdom on July 19, his family was informed on August 1 that Faisal was buried as an unclaimed body.

Faisal appeared for the HSC examination in 2024 from South Khan S.M. Mozammel Haque Technical School and College in the capital. 

Three months after his death, results of HSC examinations were published and Faisal passed successfully with GPA-435 scores.  Instead of bringing joy, this news cast a shadow of grief over Faisal’s family, classmates, and loved ones.

Faisal Sarkar was the seventh child of Md. Safiqul Islam Sarkar (75) and Hajera Begum (60) from Kachisair village in Alahabad Union of Debidwar Upazila, Cumilla. Among his eight siblings, Faisal was the seventh. Since he was born after six daughters, he grew up as the most cherished and beloved member of the family.

After his elder sisters got married, the responsibility of the family fell on Faisal. He lived in a rented house in Abdullahpur, Dhaka, with his parents and younger brother. To support his struggling family, Faisal was doing a part-time job as a supervisor for Shyamoli Paribahan  alongside his study.  
Recently, BSS correspondent spoke with Faisal’s parents and younger brother, Fahad Sarkar, at their village home in Debidwar, Cumilla.

Faisal’s younger brother, Fahad, said, “On July 19, 2024, Friday afternoon, my brother left home saying he was going to the Shyamoli Paribahan counter in Abdullahpur. In the evening, when we called his phone, it was switched off. We started searching for him in different places.”

He added, “We searched various hospitals in Dhaka for 12 days but found no trace of him. With no other options, we filed a general diary (GD) at the South Khan Police Station on July 28. Later, on August 1, we inquired at Anjuman Mufidul Islam, where they showed us pictures of unclaimed bodies they had buried. That’s when we saw my brother’s photo.”

Faisal’s father, Safiqul Islam, told BSS, “To support the family, Faisal worked part-time while studying. Now, our entire family is in crisis. My son was not involved in politics. Why did they kill him? What was his fault? I demand justice for my son’s murder.”

Faisal’s younger brother, Fahad, added, “My brother supported our family. Now, we have no one to take care of us. I had enrolled in a college in Dhaka, but after my brother’s death, I had to stop my studies. We have left our home in Dhaka and moved back to our village.”

Speaking about not getting her son’s body, Faisal’s mother, Hajera Begum, said in a tearful voice, “We didn’t get Faisal’s body. We searched everywhere but couldn’t find him. Later, we found out that he was buried as an unclaimed body at the Martyred Intellectuals’ Graveyard in Rayerbazar. We don’t even know which grave is his.”

Breaking down in tears, she continued, “I can’t even stand by his grave and call out his name. Faisal, my son, where are you lying? My son hasn’t called me ‘Ma’ for long. Come to me, my child, let me hold you in my arms!”

Faisal’s family received financial aid: Tk 5 lakh from the July Martyr Memorial Foundation, Tk 2 lakh through Hasanat Abdullah, Chief Organizer (Southern Region) of the National Citizens’ Party, and Tk 1 lakh from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.

Faisal’s father, Safiqul Islam, said, “I am old now and physically unwell. Faisal’s mother is also in poor health. Faisal was the only breadwinner in our family.  Our family was run by his earnings.  I am urging the government to arrange a job for my younger son so that we can at least survive.”