On the evening of August 5, Md. Al Mamun Amanat (41) left his home in Narayanganj, informing his wife that he was heading to Shahbagh in Dhaka to join the victory rally calling for the overthrow of the government. After leaving his home at around 5:30 PM, Mamun never returned. Nine days later, his body was discovered in the morgue of Dhaka Medical College on Wednesday, bringing an agonizing search to a tragic end.
Mamun was employed at a garment factory in Narayanganj. His wife, Hasina Momtaz, is a doctor. The couple has two young daughters, one aged seven and the other not yet two years old. Mamun’s parents had passed away, and his two sisters reside in different parts of the world—one in the United States and the other in Dhaka. The sister from the United States is on her way back to Bangladesh after learning of her brother’s death.
After the autopsy, Mamun’s body was brought back to his home in Jalakuri, Siddhirganj, on Thursday afternoon. He was laid to rest on Friday at the family graveyard in Chandina, Comilla, following funeral prayers.
Mamun was quite active on social media, particularly on Facebook, where he expressed strong opinions supporting the reform of the quota system in government jobs. In a post on August 5, Mamun encouraged the protesters, saying, “The entire Bangladesh is united today for freedom…they have now overcome the fear of death. There’s nothing more honorable than standing up against any injustice or oppression. Those who give their lives for the independence of this movement will be rewarded by the Creator.”
Recalling August 5, Hasina Momtaz mentioned that her husband had left home early in the morning but returned around 3 PM, only to leave again at 5:30 PM for Shahbagh, indicating that he might be home late. However, after that, she received no further communication from him.
Hasina Momtaz shared that she never imagined her husband would be found dead. She searched various police stations and hospitals, from Narayanganj to Shahbagh, even visiting the Dhaka Medical College morgue. On Wednesday, when she revisited the morgue with Mamun’s aunt, they identified his body by the less mutilated parts of his face and limbs, as his face was otherwise disfigured.
According to Hasina, it appears that Mamun might have been struck on the head with a heavy object, and possibly shot in the abdomen. She received a photograph and a short video of his body lying on the road, but the location could not be determined from the footage.
In a heartbreaking twist, Hasina revealed that two fraudsters scammed the family out of 38,000 Taka by promising to help find Mamun. They even used his phone to call the family, claiming that Mamun was injured in Feni. The family searched Feni but found nothing. After the money was sent, the phone was switched off. One of the scammers had pretended to be from the highway police in Feni, but it was later confirmed that no such call had been made by the police. Additionally, the motorcycle Mamun had left home with has not been recovered.
Mamun’s childhood friend, Hasan Shaon, expressed deep confusion and concern over the circumstances of Mamun’s death. He stated that they still don’t know why Mamun died, who brought his body to the morgue, or the exact cause of death—whether it was due to a head injury or a gunshot. The post-mortem report might shed light on these questions. Hasan also mentioned that Mamun was well-liked among his friends, but he wasn’t sure if Mamun had participated in any protests before August 5, although he was vocal on Facebook about the quota reform movement.
