“My beloved eldest son went to the rally healthy, but came back as a lifeless body. Now who will call me ‘mother’? What crime did my boy commit? Why did they shoot him down like a bird? I had so many hopes for him. He was supporting our family. What will happen to us now? How will I survive without my son?” Parveen Begum cried out, sobbing in her home yesterday afternoon, as she mourned the death of her 23-year-old son, Rabbi Alam, who was killed by a bullet during the quota reform movement.
Parveen Begum’s home is in South Nowgaon village, Upadi South Union, Matlab South Upazila, Chandpur. On July 19, during the quota reform movement, Rabbi Alam was shot in the head during a rally in Dhaka’s Paltan area, and he died on the spot. His body was buried in the family graveyard in their village on July 20.
Family members shared that Rabbi’s family lived in a small tin-roofed house. They owned no land. After completing his education up to the eighth grade in the village, Rabbi moved to Dhaka, where he worked in a grocery shop with his father, Babul Patwari, in the Shahbagh area. They lived in a rented house in Dhaka, while his mother and younger brother stayed in the family home in the village. Rabbi was the fourth of five siblings, with three older sisters who were all married. His younger brother worked in a local shop in the village. The income Rabbi and his father earned in Dhaka supported the family.
Yesterday, when the reporter visited Rabbi’s home in Nowgaon, his mother, Parveen Begum, was weeping. Neighbors had gathered, quietly wiping their own tears as they remembered Rabbi. Parveen Begum, overcome with grief, cried out, “Rabbi was my most precious eldest son. He was so good and gentle. He had a close bond with his siblings. He got along well with everyone. One bullet ended his life. What crime did he commit? He went to protest for the country and came back as a corpse. How can I explain the pain of losing my son? Our family depended on him. His father is old and can’t work much. Now, who will run the household? I want justice for those who killed my son. Only then will my heart find some peace.”
Rabbi’s neighbor and friend, Sohag Hossain, shared that Rabbi was a very good and kind person. He was also brave and stood up against injustice. It’s heartbreaking to accept his death. He too demands justice for Rabbi’s killing.
Md. Shahid Ullah Pradhan, chairman of Upadi South Union Parishad, said, “Rabbi’s family is very poor, and this tragedy has made their situation even worse. Wealthy individuals and the government should come forward to support this family.”
