After battling with death for two long months, 24-year-old Atikul Islam Jibon, an active participant in the student-led mass uprising that forced Sheikh Hasina to resign as prime minister and flee to India, has finally succumbed to his injuries.
He breathed his last on Wednesday evening at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
According to his family members, Jibon actively participated in the movement, which turned into a student-led mass uprising from the middle of July. He was last seen alive at a protest at Shahbagh on August 5.
At about 2:00pm on that day when his mother called him, an unknown person informed her that Jibon was severely injured and was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Upon arrival at the hospital, Jibon鈥檚 family members found that a bullet had pierced through Jibon鈥檚 head.
He had been in a coma for two months at the hospital and he never regained consciousness.
According to Jibon鈥檚 uncle Ruman Mia, Jibon, the only son among four siblings, had started working to provide financial support to his family since his teenage years.
鈥楯ibon鈥檚 father Jalal Mia work as a security guard in Dhaka. They used to live in a poor financial condition. Jibon鈥檚 salary constituted a significant portion of the family鈥檚 income,鈥� said Ruman.
A friend of Jibon said, 鈥楯ibon used to work in a shoe factory in Dhaka. His wife is currently seven-month pregnant. He could not meet with his forthcoming baby.鈥�
Dhaka University Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal general secretary Nahiduzzaman Shipon, meanwhile, claimed that Jibon was an activist of the Chhatra dal.
鈥楢nother martyr鈥檚 name has been added to the list and with the sacrifice of life in response to our call as a political organisation, the number of martyrs in the nationalist family has increased by one more,鈥� said Shipon.
Asked about Jibon鈥檚 educational institution, Shipon said that he did not know the exact name of the educational institution.
He, however, said that he heard that due to financial difficulties, Jibon could not continue his studies and dropped out during his school years.
鈥楬e was actively involved in the politics of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal in Ward 5 of Pallabi Thana and participated in programmes with the Government Bangla College,鈥� he added.
Ruman also confirmed that Jibon was a Chhatra Dal activist.
鈥楬e was involved in Chhatra Dal Politics,鈥� he said.
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 having died in the protests and subsequent uprising. The figure, however, could rise.