Ibrahim who worked as an apprentice at a furniture shop had always dreamt of building a two-storey house for his mother, a single parent who had raised him, along with his elder brother Sagar.
But the dream of this 13-year-old boy ended as a bullet had hit him at Signboard about 5:00pm on July 19 during a clash that broke out during the protests centring on civil service job reservations.
鈥業 worked day and night as a household service worker to raise my children after their father had deserted us when Ibrahim was only six months old鈥�, said Bibi Sakina, Ibrahim鈥檚 mother.
Shakina recalled that she had returned home at Signboard in the Jatrabari police area from work about 2:30pm and found that Ibrahim was not there.
鈥業 couldn鈥檛 cook. We had no rice at home. I thought about making a few rotis for him. But, he finally returned, dead,鈥� she said on August 2.
She had grown restless when Ibrahim did not return after the asr prayers. She then received a call made from Ibrahim鈥檚 mobile. The caller told her that Ibrahim had been shot dead and was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
At least 373 people, including student protesters and children, died mostly in firing by the Awami League people and the police and a few hundred more became wounded in the violence that broke out over the job reservations protest in July 16鈥揂ugust 5 till Sheikh Hasina was deposed.
鈥楢 bullet hit him in the back of his head,鈥� said his brother Sagar, now 19 years old, who went to the hospital about 7:30pm that day to look for Ibrahim鈥檚 body.
People found his mobile lying broken by the body. One of them took out the SIM card and used it to call his mother.
It took the family hours to receive the body because of formalities that needed to be completed. They could finally do it about 9:00pm the next day. He was buried in the Matuail graveyard.
Ibrahim was not much interested in his studies. His brother put him up in a furniture shop for work in May for Tk 3,000 a month.
Wailing, Shakina said that Ibrahim used to say, 鈥楳other, when I grow up. I鈥檒l learn how to drive a car and build a two-storey house. You鈥檒l live on the second floor. I鈥檒l live on the first floor. I鈥檒l call out aloud to ask you if you have had your meal?鈥�
After Ibrahim鈥檚 death, Sagar, who wanted to continue with his studies, joined a clothing shop at Gulistan for Tk 8,000 a month, as his mother was too devastated to get back to work.