Aminul’s dream of becoming a footballer was shattered by a bullet

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    Aminul’s dream of becoming a footballer was shattered by a bullet. His room is neatly arranged, with his football shoes and socks lying in place, and his used shirts and pants aligned. His mother cannot bear to look at them; every time she does, she breaks into tears. The memories of their only child are wrapped in everything—the bed, the plate he used to eat from. It’s been about a month and a half since 16-year-old Aminul Islam was killed during an anti-discrimination student protest, yet his parents still cannot forget that day. His mother, Selina Begum, still waits, hoping her son will return home from work and ask, “Mom, give me food.”

    His parents had a dream to send him abroad. After earning some money, they planned to bring him back, marry him off, and settle down. Aminul, however, had a different dream: he wanted to become a professional footballer. His whole mind revolved around football, and he had even won several prizes for his performances in various tournaments. But on July 21st, during the protest, a bullet pierced through his chest, ending his dream of being a footballer. Now, he has left his parents with empty hearts, and they cling to his memories, lost in grief.

    Aminul’s father, Obaidul Mia, told Manabzamin last Sunday, “My son studied up to the fifth grade. To help support our poor family, he took up various jobs. Most recently, he worked as a laborer in an electrical equipment factory, earning 9,000 taka a month. Despite his work, his heart was always with football. He would think about it day and night and even won prizes in different areas. He often told us that he wanted to become a great footballer. But this protest took everything away from us. It left us completely empty. He was our only child. We are not involved in any political party, and my son wasn’t even a student. He was killed just while buying some street food near our home. We can’t bear this sorrow.”

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    Recalling that day, he said, “That day, my son was sleeping at home. We didn’t have any rice at home, so his mother asked him to go to the store and get some. He did, and when he returned, he asked for some money to buy ‘jhalmuri’ (a popular street snack). His mother gave him 20 taka, and he went outside. It was around the time of Maghrib. At Shanir Akhra, near Goalbari Mor, he was suddenly shot. After being shot in the chest, he managed to walk a short distance before collapsing. He called out to two of his acquaintances from a distance, and they rescued him and took him to the local Anabil hospital.”

    Obaidul Mia, a rickshaw puller, said, “Coincidentally, I was near that hospital that day. I saw two young men bring a bullet-hit boy to the hospital, but I didn’t recognize him. After all, many people were getting shot and taken to hospitals. When the doctors at the hospital examined him, they advised taking him to Dhaka Medical College. The two young men asked me if I would take the boy to Dhaka Medical, and I agreed. When they put him on the rickshaw, I saw that the injured boy was my own son, Aminul. I screamed and fainted on the spot. Later, they poured water on my head and face to bring me back to consciousness. I took him to Dhaka Medical in a CNG (auto-rickshaw), but the doctors there said that my son had already passed away.”

    In a voice choked with tears, Aminul’s father said, “My son had actually died long before that. I could feel it at the local hospital itself. The doctors asked if I wanted an autopsy, but I declined. We took him back to our village in Ghharipasha, Bauphal, Patuakhali, where he was laid to rest.”

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    Obaidul Mia added, “We are drowning in grief after losing our son. His mother, in particular, cannot be consoled. She cries day and night, whether she’s eating or trying to sleep. Even when neighbors come to offer their condolences, she cries. Our son was very dear to us. We never let him suffer and always kept him under close watch. But now, I don’t know who to blame. It’s a life of poverty. I heard that compensation is being given to the families of those who died during the protest, and that a case needs to be filed. So I asked a local BNP leader to help with the case. Later, I found out he had filed it in his own way. I can’t read or write, so I just signed the documents. I later learned that many people have been accused.”

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