On July 21, in the South Sahebpara area of Siddhirganj, Narayanganj, 15-year-old Monayel Ahmed Imran, also known as Asad, was shot and killed. His father, Shoaib Mia, recalls the tragic events of that day.
“We had lunch, and then my son, my father, and I were lying down to rest. My younger son, Imran, went out to get a cold drink from the shop, saying he’d be back in five minutes. While he was drinking in front of the shop, a bullet hit his back. Half an hour passed, and he didn’t return home. My wife and I went out searching, showing his picture to people. Some told us he had been shot and taken to the hospital. By the afternoon, we were informed by the hospital that our son had died. He never came back home.”
Imran was an eighth-grade student at Tofailia Senior Madrasa in Zirunda Manpur, Lakhai, Habiganj. He lived with his grandmother to attend school, while his parents and older brother, Tofayel Ahmed, resided in South Sahebpara, Siddhirganj. Shoaib Mia, originally from Ramapur village in Nasirnagar, Brahmanbaria, sells household goods in Dhaka’s Begum Bazar and Chawkbazar in exchange for old clothes. His wife, Yasmin Akter, is a homemaker and tutor. Imran had come to visit his family in Siddhirganj 15-20 days before the incident.
When the news spread that the reporter had come to visit Imran’s home, relatives and neighbors gathered there. Yasmin Akter, his mother, was seen showing his report cards and registration cards with tears in her eyes, recalling how her only son had been taken from her. She said, “He was my only child. I thought I would educate him well, and he would support our struggling family. But now everything is over! Where will I go now?”
Imran’s father, Shoaib Mia, recounts, “As he left the house, my son told his mother, ‘Mom, how long will you keep me imprisoned? I have been at home for three days. I will be back in five minutes after having a cold drink.’ He was shot within five minutes of leaving home. He fell to the ground, crying out ‘Mother!’ Many people were standing at the corner of Sahebpara Road. I heard about the incident there. After 3 PM on July 21, I went to Dhaka Medical College and found out my son had died. I couldn’t see his body then. The next day, after 12 PM, I received his body.”
Shoaib Mia tearfully added, “While being put into the vehicle, my son told the local people, ‘My parents live in South Sahebpara. Show them my photo.’ He used to say, ‘You work so hard. I won’t let you work anymore.’ It’s been seven days since he died. I can’t eat anything. My heart is breaking.”
Imran’s grandfather, Ramiz Ali, said, “My grandson was shot and killed. He left the world before us at such a young age. Who do we seek justice from?”
Family members reported that from the night of July 18, quota reform protesters blocked the Dhaka-Chittagong highway in Siddhirganj, Narayanganj. On July 21, clashes erupted between protesters and law enforcement in Shimarail and Sahebpara, with security forces using tear gas, sound grenades, and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. During this time, Imran was drinking a soft drink in front of a shop near his house when he was shot from behind.
Nasirnagar Police Officer-in-Charge (OC) Nure Alam told Prothom Alo, “The boy was studying in a madrasa. He had gone to Narayanganj to visit his parents. He was shot there and later buried in the village. We learned about his death through various means after the burial.”
