Alif Ahmed Siam had always been a standout all-rounder, from topping his class to excelling in sport. His dedication and talent earned him several accolades in both arenas.
The 15-year-old boy had been actively involved in the protests demanding quota reform in government jobs, which began on July 1 and escalated into a mass uprising later that month.
His father, Bulbul Kabir, a clothing vendor at Jahangirnagar University and a resident of Islam Nagar near the university, was also an active participant in the movement, inspiring his son to join the cause.
Alif, the eldest of his parents鈥� two children, was severely injured during the protest at the JU in July, an incident that deeply upset his mother, Tania Akter, prompting her to sternly forbid him from participating in the protests again.聽
But, his mother could not stop him from joining the 鈥楲ong March to Dhaka,鈥� a protest demanding the ouster of the Awami League government, which took place just hours before Sheikh Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled to India on August 5.
His mother burst into tears upon learning over the phone at around 1:30pm from a friend of Alif that he had joined the protest that day. Not long after, a bullet pierced through Alif鈥檚 head near the Savar Bus Stand area.
The Class X student at Savar Dairy Farm High School, who dreamt of becoming a pilot to travel the world, breathed his last at 6:00pm on August 7 at Enam Medical College Hospital in Savar.
He was among 708 people who lost their lives during the uprising, according to a preliminary list released by the Directorate General of Health Services on September 24.聽 The listing of deaths in the uprising is also going on.
Chief adviser Muhammad Yunus on November 17 said that about 1,500 people were killed and 19,931 others injured during the uprising.
Tania urged Alif to come back home from the Long March, but he refused, saying, 鈥業f I do not return, Ma, you will be the mother of a martyr,鈥� she recalled, crying on December 12.
鈥榃hen the police and plain-clothes officers wearing helmets suddenly opened fire, Alif hid behind the road divider. Once the firing seemed to stop, he stood up to check his surroundings but collapsed on the street, struck by a bullet. His eyes were wide open, and he didn鈥檛 even have a chance to blink. Later, doctors had to close them with Scotch tape,鈥� said his mother.聽聽
Bulbul and Tania moved to Dhaka from Barhat鈥檚 Borobashbaria village when Alif was two years old, hoping to give him a better life. They struggled to survive in the city, but took comfort in the hope of a better future for their children.
After Alif鈥檚 death, Tania left her job as a school teacher, and Bulbul also struggled to focus on his business. The couple has a 12-year-old daughter, Israt Jahan Lamha.聽