By Selina Sheuly

DHAKA, June 2, 2025 (BSS) - Zahiduzzaman Tanvin, a talented mechanical engineer, used to dream of flying his drone in the skies of the country and abroad.

"But his dream was shattered by bullets... he expired in the early stage of life," Tanvin's mother, Bilkis Zaman, 45, broke down in tears while talking to BSS recently.

She said that Tanvin was shot dead by police on July 18, 2024, during the protests led by the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement in Azampur, Uttara in the city. 

 He died on the spot.

The bullets pierced the side of his neck and exited through it. There were numerous bullet wounds on his chest, said Bilkis, mentioning that she never imagined her son would depart like this.

She said, "My son was sleeping. He woke up and went out at around 11:30 am. On that day I was busy. Everyone was sitting at the dining table and eating. I thought that the plates and bowls on the table were all in disarray. They were not arranged."

"Thinking this, I didn't even go to the door. Tanvin went to the door to withdraw money from the ATM booth and greeted me and left. I did not say goodbye to Tanvin like on other days. This is the biggest regret of my life," she said.

"Every day, I would respond to his greetings, recite three surahs, blow on his head, and walk him to the main door. This had been happening since Tanvin's childhood. This long-standing practice was interrupted only on July 18," she said.

Bilkis Zaman said, "After greeting him, I only replied to his greetings. That was the last thing I said to my son. I did not realize that this would be the last time. It's all over."

In a tearful voice, she added, "I was at home at that time. Someone called me on my mobile and said, 'Your son has been shot. Come to the hospital.' Hearing that, I quickly went to the Kuwait-Maitree Hospital in Uttara."

Zahiduzzaman Tanvin, 24, lived with his housewife mother Bilkis Zaman and engineer father Shamsuzzaman in a rented house in Jamtala, Azampur Kachabazar, Uttara.

Tanvin got GPA 5 in both the secondary and higher secondary examinations. He graduated from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Islamic University of Technology (IUT), Gazipur, in 2022.

Later, he and his three friends founded the country's first and only drone sales, commercial applications, and services company, 'ANTS', using the initials of their names.

The company, in addition to conducting various types of survey work, also sold drones online. Tanvin was associated with the company as the 'Chief Technical Officer'.

In 2018, his team won the university's Best Ship Design competition organized by the BUET Naval Department.

In continuation of this, his team won second prize in the 2019 competition as well. Tanvin and his team also won the Unmanned Aerial Competition in 2020 and 2021.

In addition, while studying at school, Tanvin and his group won tenth place in the world and first place in Asia in the European Rover Challenge competition organized by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Later, while a first- and second-year student of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at IUT, Gazipur, Tanvin participated in the 'Model Ship Propulsion Competition' organized by BUET and won the award.

After that, he and his team traveled across the country and became champions in the UAS Aircraft System Competition organized by the UK-based Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Tanvin and his team won three out of six awards in this competition.

Tanvin's mother, Bilkis Zaman, said, "Since childhood, he had a deep interest in technology. Technology was his meditation and knowledge. My Tanvin was a keen genius. He was never associated with any political party. He was busy with drones."

Tanvin won the Bangabandhu Innovation Grant Competition held in 2021 under the ICT Division and established a drone manufacturing company called 'ANTS' with the grant of Taka ten lakh.

"My son was very humble and polite. He used to make and sell drones himself. He received various awards. He did not want to go abroad. He wanted to succeed in business and commerce in the country and abroad," she said.

Tanvin's father used to ask him to take the BCS exam.

Tanvin used to tell his father, "I will do business. I will never work in a government job. So why should I prepare for the BCS exam?"

Zahiduzzaman's maternal uncle, Samakal's Tongi correspondent Abu Saleh Musa (Babu), told BSS that on July 18, he was collecting information about the movement.

"Around 11:30 am, my sister, Tanvin's mother, called me on her mobile and said, 'Babu, your nephew was shot. His condition is not good,'" Babu said, quoting his sister.

"Hearing this, I left Tongi for Uttara. Soon after reaching Abdullahpur, my sister called me again and said that Tanvin was no more...!" he said.

Babu came to know that the body of Tanvin, their beloved eldest child from both their families, was lying at Kuwait-Maitree Hospital.

He said, "I reached the hospital after overcoming many obstacles. I saw four more bodies besides Tanvin's, lying in the bathroom (which had been made into a makeshift morgue). While trying to bring the body, I faced obstacles from the police and hospital doctors."

"After discussions, we received his body between 4 and 5 pm. Later, we took him to their rented house in Azampur. After the first janaza, we sent his body to their village house in Brahmanbaria. His burial was completed around 10 to 10:30 pm there," he said.

Tanvin passed his SSC exam from Tongi and HSC exam from Rajshahi, and completed his studies as a mechanical engineer from the Islamic University of Technology in Gazipur two years ago.

His father, Shamsuzzaman, 52, is a diploma engineer, and his only sister is also a B.Sc. engineer. She now lives in the USA.

"I had a sweet relationship with my nephew Tanvin. He was shot and killed while withdrawing money from a booth on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, about one and a half kilometers away from home," he said.

Tawsiful Islam Tawsif, executive officer of ANTS and Tanvin's friend, said, "Tanvin used to look after the technical side of ANTS. We studied at the same university. Since then, the company has been in business."

"Tanvin was a very talented engineer. He was also an incredibly good person. We were together until 10 pm on July 17, the day before his martyrdom," he said.

The next day, his mother sent him to withdraw money from the bank. Then, at around 1:45, the news came that he had been shot. Later, a friend called and said that he was no more.

Tawsif also said that Tanvin had many plans for the expansion of drones.

"Tanvin took the organization far with his creativity and enthusiasm. Tanvin's departure has caused an irreparable loss to this sector," said Tawsif.

Tanvin's colleague and friend in ANTS, Dewan Fahim Faisal, told BSS, "I first met Tanvin in my first year of university. I was looking for a partner for a badminton competition. Then he posted and commented in our group."

"A person phoned and told me that Tanvin was no more. I still couldn't believe it. Then I called his mother's number. I spoke to my aunt. She was in the hospital. She saw with her own eyes that Tanvin had died," he said.

"I had come to Uttara from Shyamoli's house. I want to remember Tanvin as a friend and colleague who did everything he could for me. If I can at least do something for the people around Tanvin, I will consider myself blessed," he said.

Many people like Tanvin have shed their fresh blood for the country. They have sacrificed their lives before their lives even truly began.

After Tanvin was martyred, the name of the 'Panchmatha' intersection of Godagari-the roundabout in his area-was changed to 'Shaheed Tanvin Square'.

Family and friends of Tanvin demanded punishment for the people who killed Tanvin and many youths of the country.