Ashikur Islam Ashik and his younger brother Atikul Islam Atik, who lost their mother in their childhood, were raised by their father Md Chan Mia, a farmer, and grandmother, Ichimon.
The two were the biggest support for each other. Ashik, a second-year business administration student at Panchpir Degree College in Kurigram, however, died on September 1 while being treated in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University hospital for a head injury.
Ashik was injured in the head as a flying object hit him at Buraburi in Kurigram on August 4, during the uprising born out of the student protests that sought reforms in civil service job reservations, said Atik, a Class XII student of the Panchpir Degree College.
Both Ashik and Atik took part in the protests at Shaplachattor of Buraburi that day.
The police fired tear-gas sells and rubber bullets to disperse the students when Awami League people attacked the protests. Atik, 20 years old, who was beaten, returned home injured at about 4:30pm.
Back home in the evening, Ashik, 22 years old, found that Atik had been injured and began to cry. He ignored his injury and focused on his brother鈥檚 treatment.
But, Ashik鈥檚 condition began to deteriorate in the evening of August 5. 鈥楬e started vomiting, speaking incoherently and
couldn鈥檛 recognise us,鈥� Atik said.
Ashik was first taken to Rangpur Medical College Hospital on August 7. As his condition worsened, he was taken to New Life Hospital Limited on Green Road in Dhaka on August 18.
He was finally taken to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University hospital on August 26 where he died five days later. Ashik was buried in his hometown in Kurigram on September 2.
鈥楶hysicians said that he had a brain haemorrhage,鈥� Atik said. 鈥楬e meant the world to me. We used to talk about our careers. I can鈥檛 sleep at night now.鈥�
鈥榃e had no big dreams. We wanted jobs and live a comfortable life,鈥� he said.
Chan Mia lost his strength after losing his eldest son. He often skips work now. The grandmother, 80 years old, who had a great role in raising the two, cries all the time.
The uprising that flared from the student protests overthrew 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.