A family wracked by tragedies

It was July 19 – the day 28-year-old Monir Hossain was shot dead during the quota reform protests in Dhaka and a string of further tragedies started befalling the ill-fated family.
While the death itself came as a grievous shock, the family had to endure endless sufferings for four days just to get Monir’s almost decomposed body released from Dhaka Medical College Hospital due to non-cooperation from law enforcers.
They were not even allowed to bury him in at least four graveyards in the capital, before eventually being able to lay him to rest in his village home in Jhalakathi. That too was allowed only after the local police took bribes.
Unable to cope with the loss of his eldest son, Monir’s father Shahjahan Farazi died on September 13. Six days later, his mother Minara Begum also died – ironically at the same hospital her son’s body was stuck for days.
Numb with intense grief and trauma, the youngest son of the family — 24-year-old Moinul Hossain — is now being treated at a health centre.
Sanjida Akter Mim, 21, the only other surviving member, is all but left to carry on with the family’s unfathomable devastation.
“Our family is ruined. We lost my brother, then my parents died from grief and now my traumatised younger brother is in a care centre,” said Mim, a second-year student of Uttara Management College.
Monir, who worked at a private company, was the sole breadwinner of the impoverished family. After giving up his studies as a second-year student of BAF Shaheen College to support his family, he was involved in various types of work for 12 years.
“My brother did whatever job he could find – even as a mason – to make sure we didn’t go hungry.
“All of his efforts were to make us happy. He had also planned to open up a computer shop. But those dreams are now all gone and we are burdened with debt,” Mim said, adding that she had to borrow Tk four lakh for the treatment of her parents and Moinul.
“His treatment costs Tk 10,000 a month, and our house rent is Tk 15,000. I had to look for a cheaper place to live … We received no help from the government.”
WHAT HAPPENED ON JULY 19
It was around 4:30pm when Monir was shot in the stomach while taking part in the quota reform protests in the capital’s Shahjadpur.
As he fell to the road, bleeding and gasping for air, his friends rushed him to DMCH.
“When my brother’s friends called to tell me he was shot, I ran out of the house. I could hear gunshots and see fire on the roads, but all I could think of was my brother,” said Mim, who lived with her family in Bhatara area.
Even after several tries, she could not find transport to get to the hospital as the curfew was already in place and the situation in the area was volatile throughout the day.
“By the time I reached Dhaka medical the next morning, my brother was already gone.”
The doctors at DMCH declared Monir dead around 5:15am on July 20.
LONG WAIT FOR MONIR’S BODY
Getting Monir’s body back from the hospital was an unexpected struggle for Mim.
“For three days, I went from one police station to another – Gulshan, Bhatara and Shahbagh – begging them to let me take my brother’s body home. They refused to release the body, giving his involvement in the protest as a reason.
“I stood outside the Gulshan Police Station for hours, but the officer wouldn’t even look at me. I waited outside Bhatara Police Station from 9:00pm to 1:00am on July 20, but no one talked to me.”
The family then came across a police inspector from their village home, who helped them obtain the clearance to take Monir’s body after autopsy on July 24.
“I had to look through countless dead bodies for four hours before I could find my brother’s almost decomposed body at the Dhaka medical morgue.”
BURIAL ANOTHER STRUGGLE
When Mim thought the worst was over, she faced resistance from graveyard authorities and local AL leaders to bury Monir’s body in Dhaka.
“Four graveyards in Dhaka refused to bury my brother when we communicated with them over the phone. They said they had orders not to bury protesters. We didn’t know where to go.”
She said the AL leaders in Bhatara also threatened to not allow his burial anywhere in the city.
The family then decided to take Monir’s body to their village home in Jhalakathi.
“Even there, police officials threatened to take his body away. We had to pay them Tk 4,000 in bribe just to let us bury him.”
Mim demanded justice for her brother’s death and the innumerable sufferings they were subjected to over the past two months.
“I don’t know who shot my brother, but I want them to be held accountable. I will file a case soon.”
WHAT AUTHORITIES SAY
Speaking to The Daily Star recently, Talebur Rahman, deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s media wing, said, “If a family member files a case in this regard, necessary actions will be taken against the accused.
“In similar incidents, many victims are filing cases and submitting written complaints to the police. Action is taken after that.”
Asked about police officials taking bribes to allow Monir’s burial, Ataur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Rajapur Police Station in Jhalakathi, said, “We’ll investigate the incident if we receive a written complaint.”
Meanwhile, Hafizul Islam, caretaker of Azimpur graveyard, said, “We received no instructions to stop the burial of the protester’s body. Those who came to bury the body were given permission to do so.”
This newspaper was unable to contact the authorities of the other graveyards for comments.