Hridoy’s parents cry 2 years after losing their son

July 19, 2024. The day was Friday. After Friday prayers, Hridoy Ahmed Shihab of Shibchar Upazila in Madaripur district went to his uncle’s house for lunch. At that time, the police were chasing and counter-chasing protesting students and people in the Badda area.
The sound of gunfire shook everything around. After finishing his meal, on his way back to his workplace, a furniture factory, Shihab was shot and fell on the road. After that, Shihab was admitted to one private hospital after another, but he could not be saved. The news of the loss of his son came home.
The sky seemed to have collapsed after losing his only child and the sole breadwinner of the family! The next day, July 20, Shihab was buried in a large scale. The sound of his parents’ cries did not go far beyond the courtyard of the house. Even the neighbors had started to forget. The pain of losing a child is still etched in the hearts of the parents!
Hridoy Ahmed Shihab was the only child of Shah Alam Howlader and Nasima Begum of Azgar Howladerkandi village of Sannyasichar union in Madaripur district. Father Shah Alam Howlader became unable to do heavy work after an accident. After that, the family faced financial crisis. At the age of just 16/17, he started working in his uncle’s furniture factory in Dhaka to support the family.
A day before his death, he spoke to his mother at home. While reminiscing, his mother Nasima Begum said, the situation in Dhaka was very bad then. When Hridoy called, I asked him to come home. Hridoy also asked me to come home. He did come home. But as a dead body. There was a big hole in the upper part of my son’s stomach, where the bullet entered from one side and exited from the other.
She also said, the situation in the country changed on August 5. The minds of countless mothers, including my son, became empty for no reason. No one in my family works to run the household. One daughter lives in her in-laws’ house. I try to earn money by working as a tailor. And I received a one-time grant of 5 lakh taka from the July Foundation. I have kept it in the bank. I am going through the day with whatever comes from there.
Shah Alam Howlader, the father of the deceased Hridoy, said, “I have a son and a daughter. The boy is small. Everyone loved him. I lost the ability to do ordinary heavy work in a motorcycle accident. The boy was in ninth grade. Later, he left his studies and went to work in Dhaka. We were doing quite well. But now it is all over! There is no hope or desire left.”
He added, “I sometimes go to my son’s grave but I cannot console my mind.” Shibchar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) HM Ibne Mizan said, “We are keeping a close eye on them. All the assistance provided by the government has been delivered. The grave has also been preserved. If any assistance is received in the future, it will be delivered to Hridoy’s family.”