Md Monsur Mia and his son, Masrul Imam- Photo : BSS

By Md Sazzad Hossain

DHAKA, May 25, 2025 (BSS) – Md Monsur Mia, a 42-year-old petrol station worker in the city’s Basila area, had one simple dream that is to see his 10-year-old son, Masrul Imam, grow into a devout Islamic scholar.

To fulfill his dream, he had enrolled his beloved son in Oxford Madrasah’s Nazira section, which is just a short distance from their home at Basila in the city’s Mohammadpur area. Every day, he used to accompany his little boy to the madrasah, just a short distance from their home.

But on July 19 in 2024, during the anti-discrimination student movement, a bullet shattered that dream forever. Monsur, son of late Aklal Mia of Madbor Bari in Basila, “was fatally shot by police” near the Basila Bridge, leaving the family distraught.

Among three brothers and three sisters, Monsur was the fourth. Their parents passed away long ago, leaving their elder brother Md Aynal Haque to raise his younger siblings with fatherly affection. He raised and married off his sisters and brothers, ensuring they never felt the absence of their parents.

In a voice choked with emotion, Monsur's elder brother, Aynal, shared the heart-wrenching story with BSS at their Madbor Bari home in Basila.

Recounting the tragic day, Aynal said, “My brother, Monsur, returned home from work around 2.30pm on July 19. Then we joined a family function at our younger sister’s home. Around 4pm, I left for work asking Monsur not to take his son to the madrasah due to the turmoil.”

Despite his brother's warning, he stepped out to observe the situation in the surroundings, intending to take his son to the Madrasah.

Aynal said, at that time, clashes between law enforcement agency members and quota reform protesters were going on near the Basila Bridge. As Monsur reached the bridge, a bullet struck his left thigh, just below the waist, he tearfully said.

Aynal said, at that time, he was at Basila Main Road when many students were shot that day. “I helped to transport several to hospitals. Then I received the dreadful news—my brother had been shot at the bridge,” he recalled.

“I lost consciousness hearing that. Regaining composure, I rushed to the spot with neighbors. We found him unconscious, bleeding profusely. We took him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, but doctors declared him dead,” Aynal sobbed.

With deep regret, Aynal said, “My brother managed to walk down from the bridge after being shot. He called out for help, but no one came. Instead, people recorded videos, took photos, and went live on Facebook. Had someone helped and stopped the bleeding, he might have survived.”

When this correspondent was talking with Aynal, Monsur’s 10-year-old son, Masrul, quietly joined the conversation. When asked about his father, his eyes welled up, and he sat silently beside his uncle, clutching his father’s clothes and belongings. He often smelled them, trying to feel his father's presence.

Monsur’s widow, Rima Akhter (30), tearfully said Masrul no longer plays or smiles like before—his cheerfulness has vanished.

Rima said her husband was the only breadwinner of their family. As her husband left no assets, she was entirely dependent on her in-laws, who have their own families to care for.

Rima, who hailed from Baliyapur village in Savar, is the daughter of the late Shamsul Haque and Mina Begum (60). She had to drop out after ninth grade due to financial constraints. She married Monsur on July 13, 2012.

“My husband had only a wish to make our son an Islamic scholar,” Rima said in an emotion- choked voice.

Demanding justice for her husband’s killing, she said, all perpetrators must face exemplary punishment.

Aynal said they filed a case against 12 individuals in court over his brother’s killing. “I want exemplary punishment for those who killed my brother,” he demanded.

Elderly Fazlul Haque, a 70-year-old neighbor who runs a small restaurant near the Basila Bridge, said, Shaheed Monsur was an idealistic and philanthropic person since his childhood.

He was known as a good person to the people of the area, Fazlul said, adding, Monsur would rush to meet any need of the people without thinking twice and extend a helping hand according to his ability.

Fazlul has put up a banner protesting Monsur's death in front of his restaurant and asked his staff and people around him to check the banner every day so that no one can destroy it.

“Monsur wasn’t my relative, but he was dear to all of us. He was the gem of our neighborhood,” he said.