Aysha Begum became as soon as one 365 days former when the nation gained independence in 1971, too younger to bring collectively the that technique of ‘freedom.’ In her later years, thinking of politics or liberty became as soon as a luxurious she might perhaps perchance perchance by no technique afford.
Her level of curiosity remained totally on the fight to feed her family.
Now, as the folk bring collectively fun one more victory — the tumble of the Hasina regime — there are now now not any smiles for Aysha. For the relief of her life, this tournament will hang-out her somewhat.
This August, she misplaced her younger son Shakil.
He became as soon as gunned down in Mirpur on 4 August when police and ruling party goons unleashed bloody violence in opposition to the contributors of the July rebellion. By then, the quota reform motion developed into an all-out fight for Hasina’s ousting.
Mirpur – home to an total lot of educational institutions – turned into one of many hotspots that witnessed fierce boulevard battles as folks, largely led by college students, stood defiant within the face of indiscriminate shootings and assaults.
Twenty-three-365 days-former Shakil Hossen engaged within the motion from the very beginning.
Cherish other days, college students from Mirpur’s Pallabi had deliberate to take part in protests on the morning of 4 August. Shakil, nonetheless, expressed his incapacity to imprint up for them. The family became as soon as planning to pass and he needed to peek for a rental to lease. He became as soon as additionally feeling in uncomfortable health.
Round 11 am, college students tried to carry shut abet watch over of Mirpur 10 but contributors of the Awami League, Jubo League and Chhatra League had already taken situation within the rental since early morning – all armed with shotguns, pistols, machetes and sticks.
As quickly as the college students progressed from Mirpur 13 towards Mirpur 10, the ruling party activists opened fire. The college students retaliated by throwing brickbats but they were no match for the volley of bullets.
But, a working fight between the two aspects continued till 12:30 pm.
The smile
“Amid the clashes, I with out word seen Shakil in front of Supreme College. He became as soon as now now not supposed to imprint up for the boom that day. As quickly as he seen me, he smiled at me,” Rajib Hossain, a chum of Shakil and a pupil of UODA, instructed TBS.
Shakil became as soon as additionally a pupil on the University of Trend Replacement (UODA). A intellectual, politically aware childhood, Shakil participated within the 2018 Boulevard Security Traipse.
“After that,” Rajib continued, “we, alongside with Shakil, started the spend of the benches of footpath vendors as shields and tried to diagram. Within the chaos of the clashes, I additionally misplaced my mobile phone.
“Suddenly, I seen Awami League activists advancing towards us, firing from the course of Mirpur 10. I instructed Shakil, ‘Let’s return.’ We fleet started withdrawing, and Shakil became as soon as with us.”
Suddenly, Rajib realised Shakil became as soon as now now now not with him. While Rajib sought for his friend, he seen after all five folks lying on the avenue, gunned down, and four of them had been hit within the head.
Rajib became as soon as recounting the fateful day at Shakil’s Pallabi Block D rented rental. Shakil’s mother, Aysha Begum, sat numb with a easy expression. Her be concerned hung heavy within the air.
Furthermore cowl with them became as soon as Mim Akhtar.
Shakil, Rajib and Mim are all passe college students of Amader Pathshala — a college in Mirpur 12, high-tail by volunteers, for underprivileged younger folks. They shared a certain bond. They engaged in activism for social commerce while pursuing elevated schooling.
Mim stated, “Round 12:40 pm [on 4 August], I received a call informing me that Shakil Bhai had been shot and became as soon as being taken to Kurmitola Health center. A neighborhood of us went to the clinic, the build we found him unconscious on a stretcher.
The attending nurses persistently stated his situation became as soon as excessive and he wished to be moved to the National Institute of Neurosciences and Health center urgently.”
Aysha spoke then, “My son by no technique historical to repeat me when he became as soon as going to a boom. Every time I figured out [that he was going], I might perhaps perchance perchance forbid him. However he went each day with his chums with out telling me.”
Recalling the tragic day, she stated Shakil came home earlier than midday, had lunch and then took a 10-minute nap. Later, he bought a call and left the rental fleet, telling Aysha that he had found a rental.
After Shakil left, Aysha fell asleep. Round 2pm, a few of his chums came to wake her up with the news of Shakil’s harm.
She rushed to Kurmitola Health center but became as soon as instructed that Shakil became as soon as on the neurosciences clinic.
They managed to prevail within the clinic at Agargaon after struggling by way of a few roadblocks by the army personnel, the build they were instructed to turn again.
“I found my boy with an oxygen cowl on and now now not inviting the least bit,” Aysha recounted.
Shakil handed away on 7 August.
The pupil coordinators of the Mirpur protests are presently engaged on compiling a list explicit to Mirpur. Already, 47 deaths and almost 800 accidents bring collectively been counted.
How it all started
Consistent with SM Sayem, one of many coordinators in Mirpur, the motion in Mirpur 10 started in fat power from 17 July, a day after Abu Sayeed became as soon as shot to death in Rangpur, sparking a nationwide outrage.
“On that day, we were in a space to carry a funeral-in-absentia on the Mirpur 10 intersection. The next day, the Awami League and police launched a excessive assault on the protesters.”
Unless 17 July, the motion became as soon as primarily amongst college students but on 18 July, folks from all surrounding areas poured in. The streets were crowded from Shewrapara to Mirpur 10, extending by way of Mirpur 11 and from Mirpur 2 to Mirpur 13.
From afternoon, police and Awami League contributors continuously attacked the protesters from the course of the Model Police Plan in Mirpur 1. Police historical rubber bullets, pellet weapons and sound grenades.
Police progressed from the Model Police Plan towards Mirpur 10, firing on the protesters. The college students and other folks retaliated in phases, forcing police to retreat on occasion. At some level of the evening of 18 July, there were repeated clashes between the police and college students.
The TBS correspondent masking Mirpur on the day seen after all 50 injured taken to clinic.
Bloody Friday
On 19 July, Mirpur became as soon as relatively aloof within the morning. With police stationed on the Mirpur 10 roundabout since morning, Awami League activists saved the level occupied till 1:15 pm.
The gathering became as soon as led by Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil, total secretary of the Jubo League, and Gazi Mesbaul Hossain Sachchu, president of Swechchhasebak League.
Round 12:50 pm, Nikhil delivered a fiery speech there, “Mirpur is the stronghold of the Awami League. We is now now not going to tolerate any compose of boom or assault here… We is now now not going to enable someone to carry shut abet watch over of Mirpur 10.”
However, following Jummah prayers, there became as soon as no visible showdown at Mirpur 10 for no decrease than an hour.
After 2:15 pm, protesters started to score on the level. By 3 pm, thousands of demonstrators had assembled on the encompassing streets. And the assault on them commenced quickly after.
Police started firing rubber bullets, shotgun pellets and sound grenades from the course of Model Police Plan. In no time, eight to 10 were injured and carried to a detailed by clinic by their fellow protesters.
Round 3:40 pm, a microbus and 40-50 motorcycles entered Mirpur 10 from the Shewrapara aspect. The convoy incorporated after all 20 motorcyclists who were armed with shotguns, pistols and heavy firearms. The relaxation were armed with inspiring weapons and sticks. After coming into by way of Kazipara, they started indiscriminately taking pictures on the protesters.
The microbus entered the Fire Service situation of job, while the armed cadres continued to shoot on the protesters. In front of the TBS reporter, on the scene, four to 5 folks were shot and fell to the ground.
Sayem continued, “On that day, Nikhil, Sachchu and other Awami League activists fired a entire lot of a full lot of are residing rounds on the protesters. No decrease than 20 folks were killed on the location, and a full lot of injured protesters were admitted to the clinic.”
On 19 July, now now not only were sound grenades thrown and shots fired from helicopters, but police additionally fired from the metro rail traces onto the protesters on the streets below.
“After we seen this, we went up to the metro rail web web page to confront the police, but we did now now not interact in any vandalism,” Sayem stated, including that of us who were interested by vandalism were now now not amongst the protesters.
He extra acknowledged that Awami League activists fired at them from all the way by way of the metropolis corporation situation of job. “Then we retaliated. Even supposing there became as soon as some vandalism afterwards, none of us location something else on fire. When the protesters left, Awami League contributors location fire to the vehicles themselves. The identical part came about on the Kazipara metro web web page.”
The beginning of the tip
With the imposition of curfew and armed forces deployment, the protests started to subside from 20 July. However, despite the curfew, the protesters continued to compose attempts to score at varied areas. In Mirpur 10, the army on occasion allowed college students to proceed their protests and this continued till 2 August.
On 3 August, the rental became as soon as under the abet watch over of the protesters when a giant rally on the Shaheed Minar pronounced the one-level question.
However the field took a harmful activate the following day. From the morning, Awami League and their affiliated organisations, alongside with the police, took abet watch over of Mirpur 10.
After 11am, the protesters started to carry shut to the streets. For the reason that Mirpur 10 roundabout became as soon as under Awami League abet watch over, the protesters attempted to enter from Kazipara, Mirpur 13 and Outmoded Mirpur 10 good points. However wherever they tried to enter, Awami League males attacked them.
Amongst the party leaders cowl with weapons that day were Nikhil, Sachchu and Councillor Ismail Mollah. They shot towards Mirpur 13, resulting within the deaths of after all five folks as we remark.
In Outmoded Mirpur 10, they shot after all three folks to death. Heaps of of others were injured.
Nahiann Sifat, a participant within the protests, instructed TBS, “I became as soon as shot within the leg on 18 July. I became as soon as additionally cowl on 4 August. That day, Awami League activists fired extra bullets than police. They were carefully armed.”
Sayem added, “On 4 August, it took us a deadly fight to compose abet watch over of Mirpur 10. We fought for nearly five hours earlier than the Awami League males and police retreated, and the army actually handed over Mirpur 10 to us around 4pm. After that, we took fat abet watch over of the rental.
Even then, Awami League activists continued to beginning guerrilla assaults on us in varied alleyways.”
The end
On the morning of 5 August, protesters from varied ingredients of Mirpur tried to carry shut to the streets, however the army had secured the rental, combating someone from coming out earlier than Hasina’s departure.
On this high-stakes moment, pupil protestors and other contributors scrambled to verify for updates on the protests on-line. However were met with one more setback: an web blackout.
Sayem stated, “As soon as it became as soon as again, I became as soon as making an are trying by way of news sites. Round 1pm, I seen on the TBS Facebook page that lakhs of folks from Uttara were heading towards Shahbagh. Seeing this, I called every person around me and went out to the streets.
However, the army became as soon as now now not permitting us to enter Mirpur 10. At 2:52pm, the army all yet again handed over Mirpur 10 to us.”
Thousands of folks within the rental were now heading towards the Ganobhaban, the location of the now-ousted top minister. “We managed to gain by way of the crowd to the Ganobhaban, but all the way by way of our victory procession, we heard that shots were being fired from the Model Police Plan aspect by Nikhil and other activists.”
Later, they retreated into the police web web page after being chased by college students. However it completely became as soon as now now not the protesters who took piece in looting or vandalism of the web web page; it became as soon as outsiders who utilized those actions, primarily primarily based entirely on Sayem and a entire lot of others inquisitive relating to the motion.
Mohammad Monirul Islam, who took over as the officer-in-price (OC) of Mirpur Model Police Plan on 21 August, instructed TBS that 10 conditions were filed there final month, most of that are raze conditions, in reference to the clashes.
Furthermore, there are plenty of different conditions which bring collectively diagram from the court docket for investigation.
“We are actively investigating these conditions, identifying suspects by way of various pictures, videos and other evidence.”
Their work is being considerably hindered as a result of the renovation of the broken police web web page, as effectively as the transportation disaster for police patrols with a entire lot of vehicles burned, he instructed TBS on 17 September. Monirul became as soon as later transferred to Ramna Detective Division.
The residents of Mirpur are additionally attempting to diagram to phrases with the post-rebellion trauma. Many aloof hear gunshots in routine nightmares while caring for the injured has turn out to be a massive process, with a preference of them aloof hospitalised.
Two months into the potential commerce, financial activities bring collectively resumed after being severely impacted by the conflicts but incidents of extortion are in actual fact disrupting companies.
On 17 September, after all eight college students were injured in Mirpur 13 after they were attacked for attempting to cease extortion.
Figuring out the dull
The head teacher of Amader Pathshala Tofazzal Hossain instructed TBS, “We found that a range of folks who died on 18-19 July were secretly buried by their families. They did now not even have to remark to us about it.”
A process became as soon as initiated to compile a list of the deceased in Mirpur but needed to be placed on a cease midway, primarily primarily based entirely on Tofazzal. This came about because a few lists were being compiled from assorted sources, and the families of the deceased were turning into distressed by the repeated visits.
“For now, the technique is on bring collectively. However, if the govt.conducts a thorough and unswerving enumeration, many of the names might perhaps perchance perchance be incorporated,” stated Tofazzal.
He talked about that alongside the college students, native residents of Mirpur, manufacturing facility workers and day labourers additionally took to the streets all the way by way of the motion. They supported the protesters in varied suggestions – from relate participation to offering assorted forms of help.
Echoing Tofazzal’s gaze, native college students acknowledged the role of rickshaw pullers who took the possibility of transporting the injured to hospitals amid fierce clashes.
Will there be no justice?
In 2013, Shakil’s mother Aysha Begum moved to Dhaka from Bhola alongside with her four younger folks. As a result of financial constraints, she might perhaps perchance perchance now not be obvious quality schooling for Shakil and his siblings. After they arrived within the metropolis, Shakil’s father stayed again within the village but fell sick.
Despite bringing him to Dhaka for medication, he handed away after three months.
Aysha worked as a housemaid to be obvious her younger folks might perhaps perchance perchance proceed their schooling. She has since married off her two daughters.
At this stage in her life, Aysha Begum, having misplaced Shakil, is continuously forlorn. She spoke with the TBS team for nearly two hours. At the tip of the dialog, she broke down in tears.
“On 3 August, I seen within the news that the police would now now now not shoot. Then who shot my Shakil within the head on the 4th? Sheikh Hasina stated there were no thugs within the Awami League, that all the thugs were within the opposition. Then what relating to the Awami League’s gang that shot at my Shakil and a full lot of different boys? Will there be no justice for this?” asked Aysha as she wept.
Everyone within the room stood in silence, including Rajib and Mim. There were no phrases to console Aysha Begum, a mother who misplaced her child to the July-August massacre, and perhaps there by no technique will be.
