Maruf Hossain, who once dreamed to live the life of a successful cricketer, eventually embraced martyrdom to bring better days for his country and people.
A Class XII student of Akota Degree College in Barishal, 19-year-old Maruf died after he had received bullet wounds in the abdomen in the evening of July聽 19 near BRAC University in Badda in the capital.
鈥楳aruf loved cricket. He wanted to become a good cricketer. He used to play at the district level competitions and dreamed to take his cricketing career ahead,鈥� said his grief-stricken father Md Edris.
Eldest of three brothers, Maruf also wanted to do higher studies in Canada. He was doing an IELTS course at a coaching centre when the anti-discrimination movement broke out.
鈥業 was ready to sell my village land if he would get the chance to study in Canada,鈥� said Edris, a man from Barishal and currently living in Badda area.
Abu Sayed鈥檚 death in police firing during the student movement against discrimination in Rangpur on July 16 deeply anguished Maruf, described his father. He felt a drive from within to join the protesting students in Dhaka, Md Edris continued.
Returning from demonstrations on July 18, Maruf showed video clips to his parents how the law enforcers used excessive force against protesters near the Canadian University of Bangladesh.
鈥榃e were worried about his life as we saw those clips. We warned him that night but he again went out in the morning,鈥� said Edris.
The patrols of the law enforcement agencies鈥� helicopters made Maruf鈥檚 mother Moriam Begum extremely worried. As she rang her son at about 4:00pm, Maruf assured her that he was all right, asking her not to worry.聽聽聽
But his uncle, who was with him during the protests, called the parents to inform them that Maruf received bullet wounds in the abdomen at about 6:00pm.
Maruf was rushed to AMZ Hospital from where he was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead.
The family was not allowed to receive the body without police clearance. They had to run in between the hospital mortuary and police station till July 21 until they were given the clearance.
Maruf was buried in Badda Graveyard on the same day.
Multitasker Maruf was also the main supporting hand for his father in his caterer business. His unbearable absence comes as a double burden for Md Edris in running the business.
Edris said that he filed a case with the International Crimes Tribunal on September 15 against 28 named individuals, including deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and former minister for road transport and bridges Obaidul Quader, for his son鈥檚 killing. The case also accuses 100鈥�200 unnamed individuals.聽
The protests, which the students had held since July 1, flared into a mass uprising towards the end of the month, overthrowing the Awami League government on August 5.
The Directorate General of Health Services on September 24 came up with a preliminary list of 708 individuals who died in the student-led uprising.
