Martyred Minarul’s family worried about future of his newborn

Minarul, 27, and his wife Nureshan Khatun, 25, waited more than eight years to have a child. However, Minarul was never able to see his newborn son.

On July 20 last year, Minarul was shot dead by police during an anti-discrimination student movement in Siddhirganj, Narayanganj. Originally from Guljarbag (Guripara) in Rajshahi, Minarul worked as a garment factory laborer in Narayanganj.

He sustained bullet wounds while taking part in the protest, was taken to a hospital by fellow activists, but died from his injuries.An active participant in the movement, Minarul joined the protests wholeheartedly.

His mother, Dolly Begum, and wife Nureshan Khatun remain in deep shock over his death. Both have demanded the death penalty for those responsible.

At the time of Minarul’s killing, Nureshan was seven months pregnant. She gave birth to their son, Minhajul Islam Saifan, two months and nine days after Minarul’s death.

The baby is now nine months old. The family includes Minarul’s mother Dolly Begum and his two brothers, Sohel Rana and Nazmul, who work as rickshaw pullers.

Speaking on Saturday, Dolly Begum recalled receiving calls from Minarul’s phone shortly after he was shot, which left them shocked and speechless when news of his death arrived.

When his body returned home the next day, local political leaders pressured the family to say his death was due to a road accident.

Under political pressure, Minarul was buried immediately.

After a change in the political climate, Minarul’s brother Nazmul Haque filed a case with Siddhirganj Police on September 3, 2024.

The former Mayor of Narayanganj City Corporation, Dr. Selina Hayat Ivy, was arrested on May 8 this year in connection with the case.

Since Minarul’s death, Nureshan and her son have been living in her parents’ home in Faradpur village, Godagari Upazila.

Her father, Saidul Islam, a day laborer, struggles to support the family with his limited income. He said the grandson often falls ill, and they cannot afford proper medical care.

Nureshan shared, “I miss my husband every night. I have been in trauma for over a year and often cry for him.”

She added that she still feels her husband’s presence and cannot accept that he is gone. “If he were alive, my son’s future would be different. My son is my life, and I will live for him.”

She called for government support to raise her son and demanded justice for Minarul’s killing. “Those who ordered the killing must be identified and punished,” she said.

Nureshan said Minarul had been active in the student movement from the start and embraced martyrdom fighting against discrimination, oppression, and the autocratic regime.

She urged authorities to promptly deliver exemplary punishment to the killers and their instigators.