Saquib Anjum, 27, a potential youth, went out of his house in Talaimary area here in the morning of August 5 with a hope of returning to his family with a new message of ending 16 year-long fascist regime.
But the shocking matter was that Anjum could not enjoy the victory as he was shot dead as the fag end of the student-led mass uprising.
Saquib Anjum who recently completed the post-graduation degree on Computer Science and Engineering at Varendra University here, was always vocal against injustice since the very beginning of his life.
He was an active participant in the anti-quota student movement in 2018. Therefore, when the students waged the anti-discrimination student movement this year, he actively joined the protest,
As most of the necessary preparations and procedures were finalized, Saquib was supposed to go Finland for higher education either by the end of this month or early next month.
His family is still confined in deep shock as he (Anjum) embraced martyrdom during the student-people mass uprising.
Following the martyrdom of Anjum, his father Mainul Haque, 60, mother Rokeya Khatun, 56, and wife Nishat Tabassum, 25, became bewildered as they still cannot return to normal life.
Particularly, the mother of Anjum, Rokeya Khatun and wife Nishat Tabassum are still shell-shocked after Anjum's death. The grieving mother and wife demanded the death penalty of the killers.
Anjum’s mother and wife were losing control of their emotions when they were showing Anjum’s belongings, even his blood stained shirt and pants.
Saquib Anjum had a dream of pursuing higher education abroad and contributing to the country, Mainul said, adding, “My son used to tell me, Abba (dad) please endure sadness for some more days, once I go abroad, all your sadness will be wiped out”.
"During his leisure time, Anjum was always caring and encouraged me to run my cosmetics business at Shaheb Bazar RDA Market successfully," he added.
He said: "I cannot find peace anywhere as memories of my son hunt me everywhere." Particularly, those who ordered the Awami leaders and workers to kill people, all people responsible for the mass killing must be brought to justice through proper identification.
"He was on the streets from the beginning of the student movement … subsequently, he embraced martyrdom to free the people of the country from discrimination, the shackles of oppression and ruthless regime of autocratic ruler Sheikh Hasina,” said Nishat Tabassum, Anjum’s wife.
"I miss my husband when I go to bed everyday. I am feeling his absence. I was in trauma for over three months and I was always crying for him,” she added.
She still now feels her husband's existence, Nishat said, “I cannot think that he is no more among us and will never come to us”.
Asif Mahmud, one of Anjum’s childhood friends and classmates, said like other days during the movement, in the morning of August 5, Anjum phoned all of his friends and assembled them at Talaimary area.
Subsequently, they started marching towards Alupatty crossing breaking the curfew enforced by the Awami League government.
On their way to the Alupatty, people of Awami League and Juba league opened fire on the students' procession by using snipers from the top of Swachh Tower, a 17-storey building beside the road, repeatedly.
At that time Saquib Anjum sustained the bullet injury on different parts of his body, including head, chest and abdomen. He succumbed to his injuries on the spot.
A horrifying situation was prevailing on the city streets at that time.
On October 16 last, Anjum's body was exhumed after 72 days of burial as per the directives of court as the body was buried without post mortem due to lack of doctor and police just after the mass upsurge on August 5.
Investigation Officer (IO) Moshiar Rahman told BSS that father of the deceased Mainul Haque has lodged a case with Boalia Model Police Station against 342 people, including former Mayor of Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) AHM Khairuzzaman Liton and city unit General Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League Dablu Sarker.
He said some of the accused of the case including Dablu Sarker and Juba League leader Jahirul Islam Rubel, were arrested.
