'My mind was restless from beginning of the day': Abu Sayeed's mother recalls 16 July

Contrary to any other regular day, Monwara Begum felt unfamiliar anxiety creeping up on her mind on the morning of 16 July when her son Abu Sayeed embraced martyrdom.

"I woke up in the morning with a restless and disordered mind. I offered the Fazr prayers. But an unknown fear engulfed my mind. I was afraid that something bad would happen," said Monwara.

Nothing was going on normally with her like the other days. The mother's troubled mind sensed something unusual beforehand in the morning.

No one in the house imagined that something might happen that day to Sayeed - the eighth of nine children of his parents.

"Due to my troubled mental state, I couldn't go to my daughter Mamata Begum's house on her invitation in the nearby village that day," Monwara said.

Sayeed's mother narrated all these to BSS at her home in village Babonpur of Madankhali union under Pirganj upazila recently about how the day was for her on 16 July.

On the day, her brave son Abu Sayeed became a martyr in police firing while taking part in the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement at Parker Mour area near Begum Rokeya University.

Sayeed's sacrifice instantly ignited the student-mass uprising adding decisive momentum to it, and propelling the movement to free the nation from the 15-year-long dictatorship of the then-fascist prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Recalling the happenings of that day she said, "Like every day, I was preparing to cook rice in the morning. So, I wanted to open the nearby room and take rice and vegetables from there for cooking."

But she couldn't find the key to unlock that room. Everyone in the house looked for the key everywhere till 10am. But the key wasn't found.

"Later, we called a lock repair mechanic to the house. After breaking the lock, I entered the room and took out rice and potatoes for cooking," she said.

She started cooking rice, keeping potatoes inside the pot to prepare 'Bhorta'. But she couldn't concentrate on cooking food.

After boiling rice with potato, she had to take the boiled potato out of rice to prepare 'Bhorta' with it. But she forgot to do that although everyone at home was hungry by noon.

"When Sayeed's father Mokbul Hossain wanted to take food, I remembered that I forgot to prepare 'Bhorta' and I did not have the energy to take the boiled potato out of rice and prepare the same," she said.

Then she served 'Panta Bhat' to her husband and ate a little too.

"Later, I did not have the appetite and didn't eat any food throughout the day. I had no control over my mind," Monwara said.

Recalling the happenings on 16 July, Sayeed's younger sister Sumi Khatun said all thoughts, hopes and aspirations of the family members and relatives developed centering on Sayeed who was their heart.

She said, "Suddenly, Sayeed's friend Shahriar Hossain told his mother, our next-door neighbour, about Sayeed's martyrdom on the phone at 3:30pm from Rangpur city."

"Shahriar also studies in the same university. His mother loved Sayeed like her own son. She started crying. She could not inform my parents about the sad news," said Sumi.

Ramjan Ali, elder brother of Sayeed, said his cousin Ruhul Amin, two-year senior to Sayeed, is also studying in the same university. They lived in the same mess in the Lalbag area of Rangpur.

"At around 3:30pm on 16 July, Ruhul informed me over the mobile phone that Sayeed was killed in police firing near the university," Ali said, adding that he immediately ran to his father and mother at home.

 "Entering their room, I found my parents resting. Father instantly asked me whether anything happened! Hiding the sad news considering his health condition, I told him that Sayeed was injured in an accident and we have to go to Rangpur," Ali continued.

He informed the news of his elder brother-in-law Abdul Malek and another cousin Moktar Ali on the phone.

By this time, videos of Sayeed's martyrdom in police firing became viral on YouTube. Many people with mobile phones rushed to our house when my father, mother and everyone came to know about Sayeed's death.

"My father and mother burst into tears. The news of Sayeed's death was like a 'thunder without a cloud' to everyone at home and in the village and surrounding areas...our little house was soon filled with mourners...." he said.

Ramjan Ali, along with Ruhul Amin and other relatives, soon rushed to Rangpur Medical College Hospital where the body of Sayeed was taken by police.

"We had to go through terrible struggles at the hospital. The police administration behaved rudely with us. Despite facing police threat, we received Sayeed's body from the hospital morgue at midnight," he said.

Later, police and local administrations under strict security measures brought the body to Sayeed's house at 3am the next day as a pall of gloom descended over the house.

"After two namaz-e-janaza held at nearby Jafarpara Kamil Madrasa ground with the participation of thousands of students, teachers and people, Sayeed's body was buried in our small yard at 11:30 am on 17 July," Ali said.

Mokbul Hossain said, "My son Sayeed was very brilliant. He continued studying amid adverse economic conditions. He always thought for the welfare of his family members, relatives and local people."

Mother Monwara Begum said, "Sayeed was very kind to the poor and distressed people. If he was alive, he would become a big official and never take bribes. He had full faith in Almighty Allah and offered five times prayer regularly."

"It's like a dream to us now that Almighty Allah gifted Sayeed to us. He was perhaps born just to become a martyr and become a heroic symbol of patriotism to free the country from the fascism and dictatorship of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina," the couple said.

At the cost of the supreme sacrifice of Sayeed and many other brave students and people, the couple wants people to be able to move freely. They don't want any more dictators to be created so that the country can prosper peacefully.

Demanding justice, Sayeed's sister Sumi Khatun said her brother was brutally shot dead by the police in broad daylight in the presence of thousands of people.

"Every criminal responsible for killing my brother Sayeed must be hanged in open daylight in the presence of thousands of people to ensure justice," said Sumi.

She demanded that Sayeed be given the title of Bir Shrestha.
 
She urged the present interim government to take necessary steps so that the people across the world could know Shaheed Sayed as a heroic symbol of revolution to achieve rights and independence.
 
"I request the government to establish a mosque, madrasah and construct a road in our Babonpur village and nearby Jafarpara area and name those after Shaheed Abu Sayeed to immortalise him," Sumi added.
 
Md Mezbahur Rahman, Headmaster of Jafarpara High School where Shaheed Abu Sayeed studied in school life, said that Sayeed was a very talented student and humble, and polite in nature. He was also a helpful person.
 
Calling Shaheed Abu Sayeed a national hero and a true patriot, General Secretary of Madankhali Union BNP Md. Shahjahan Ali Sarkar said that the country will be grateful to him and will remember his unique bravery and contribution to the nation.