'Ma don't worry, I'll be home in two minutes'

A 17-year-old boy shot dead in Rampura. At least 163 lives (the actual number could be much higher) were lost when law enforcers opened fire on protesters during the recent unrest. But these victims are not just statistics; they are children, husbands, and friends. In this report, we try to know the story of three such names among these tragic numbers.

On every Friday, Mostofa Zaman Samudra, a 17-year-old SSC graduate, goes to Juma prayers with his father, Tajul Kal.

They did the same on July 19.

After prayers, Tajul returned to their rented apartment in Rampura, Samudra did not. He told his father that he would meet his friends, promising him he'd return shortly.

But he did not.

Hours later, Samudra's lifeless, bullet-ridden body was brought home on a rickshaw-van after police and BGB opened fire at protesters in Rampura.

Samudra was supposed to get admitted to Siddheswari College just a day later; instead, his body returned to his village in Munshiganj, wrapped in a white shroud for burial.

A MOTHER'S WORST FEAR REALISED

As Samudra did not return home, his mother, Masuda Jaman, grew anxious. She immediately called him. "Ma don't worry, I'll be home in two minutes," he reassured her.

However, as minutes turned into hours and repeated calls went unanswered, her fears intensified.

By that time, horrors engulfed Rampura, Banasree, and Badda as bullets flew. On the scene, this reporter witnessed helicopters hovering low, firing teargas canisters and sound grenades, while police and BGB troops unleashed live rounds on the crowd.

Consequently, at least 13 bodies were counted in the nearby hospitals. One of them was Samudra's, lying in a pool of blood on the floor of Delta Hospital in Rampura.

When this newspaper saw Samudra's lifeless body, his phone continued to ring, displaying the name "Ma".

His mother was still calling. Eventually, a friend of Samudra answered and informed her, "Aunty, Samudra has been shot. He's at Delta Hospital. Please come quickly."

He couldn't tell the mother that her son had already died.

Tajul and Masuda rushed to the hospital amid the chaos on streets.

Upon arrival, they were told their son had died.

Masuda could not accept this. "The doctors said he was alive when brought in but died shortly after. But my Samudra's body was still warm. I felt his heart was still beating," she recounted tearfully.

In a desperate bid to save him, they took Samudra's body to Better Life Hospital. There, the doctors confirmed the inevitable.

A bullet had pierced his hand and lodged into his rib, causing severe blood loss and, ultimately, his death, confirmed the doctors.

Now the family is struggling to cope with the loss.

"Yes, he was shot. But I won't say who shot him. We don't know who did that. We don't want justice. My son is dead. I will not get him back. What's the point of asking for justice?" Masuda asked, breaking down in tears.

When our local correspondent visited Samudra's village in Munshiganj, he saw the obvious -- a family in shock.

His parents were sitting outside, surrounded by a few relatives.

They all spoke highly of Samudra. They said even at a young age, Samudra cared deeply for his friends and family.

He used to come to Munishganj every weekend and was the centre of attention among the local children. He also helped arrange sporting events in both Munshiganj and Rampura.

(Our Munshiganj correspondent Tanjil Hasan contributed to this report)