I could never have imagined that a young man would be buried this way, said Sheikh Mohammad Sakib Raihan’s (22) mother, Nurunnahar Begum. Despite growing up in a poor family and not being able to complete his secondary education, Sakib always tried to do something. Three years ago, he took a job as a sales representative (SR) with a mobile phone operator. He later left that job for another company, and then quit to work as a field worker for a census. On the afternoon of July 19, while he was out collecting data in the Rupnagar area of Dhaka, he was shot and killed.
On Monday, sitting at her home in the Navapalli area of Ward 18 in Khulna city, Nurunnahar Begum spoke about Sakib. Her voice quivered as she recounted the loss of her son. She said, “I don’t know how to console myself. I could never have imagined having to bury such a young man like this. My son is gone, and I can’t describe the pain I’m feeling. There’s nothing left to do but pray for him.”
Sakib was the youngest among his three siblings. He rented a house in the Rupnagar area of Dhaka and had wanted to bring his mother to live with him a month ago. Nurunnahar Begum was preparing to go to Dhaka. But before she could make the move, Sakib’s body was brought back home, leaving his parents speechless. On the afternoon of July 19, during a clash between protesters and the police in Rupnagar, Dhaka, Sakib Raihan was shot. The bullet entered his right chest and exited through his back. By evening, his parents received the news of his death via phone.
On Monday, at Sakib’s home, one could see a semi-pucca house with a tin roof. The entrance path to the house was quite worn. The kitchen was covered with corrugated tin. This piece of land was inherited from Nurunnahar’s paternal side. They were living there as best as they could. Sakib’s father, Sheikh Mohammad Azizur Rahman, used to run a clothing business but now operates a small grocery shop in front of their house. Nurunnahar Begum is a housewife. She recounted that around 5 p.m., someone called Sakib’s father’s mobile phone and said that Sakib had been shot and was being taken to Sohrawardy Hospital in Dhaka. Upon hearing this, they were devastated and initially didn’t know what to do. Later, they called their elder son and son-in-law in Dhaka, who found Sakib’s body at Sohrawardy Hospital.
Nurunnahar said that after being shot, Sakib survived for about two hours. He was taken to two clinics but was not admitted. He died on the way to Sohrawardy Hospital. His body was brought home the same night, and the following morning, he was buried at the Bashupura graveyard in Khulna city.
