Dhaka: It was July 19, 2024, when turmoil gripped the capital city as law enforcement agencies launched a heavy crackdown on protesters under the banner of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. Around 3 pm that day, Maya Islam, a resident of Meradia in the Banasree area, took her grandson, Basit Khan Musa, a nursery student, downstairs to buy ice cream from a shop under their residential building. But they found the shop closed and waited inside the main gate of their building. Suddenly, a bullet allegedly fired by police struck Musa's head and entered Maya's lower abdomen from behind, causing both to collapse immediately.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Maya breathed her last the next day while being shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital from a private facility at Banasree. Musa is now undergoing treatment in a Singapore hospital. Maya's husband, Mahbub Islam, recounted that Musa's mother had initially stopped him from going outside due to the sounds of gunfire. However, when the situation seemed relatively calm, Maya took Musa downstairs. Tragically, a bullet killed Maya and critically injured Musa during clashes between protesters, police, and Chhatra League activists.
Maya and Mahbub had been living with their son, Mostafizur Rahman, who runs an electronics shop in Malibag Bazar. Mahbub recalled that Maya took care of Musa, fulfilling his every demand. On the fatal day, Musa had been insisting on having ice cream, but due to gunfire, they waited. When they finally went downstairs, they were both struck by a bullet. Mostafizur, nearby, rushed them to the nearest hospital. Although Musa survived, his condition was critical, leading to his transfer to Singapore for better treatment by the interim government on October 22, 2024.
The tragedy struck Mostafizur hard, as he was occupied with Musa at the hospital when his mother passed away and couldn't attend her burial in Tangail. Initially, the family lost hope for Musa's survival, but his condition has improved, though full recovery will take time. Mahbub claimed Musa as the youngest warrior of the 24 July Uprising and demanded justice for his martyred wife and injured grandson.
Mostafizur Rahman filed a case with Khilgaon police station on November 1 last year over his mother's death in gunfire, accusing 87 people, including Sheikh Hasina, Obaidul Quader, and Asaduzzaman Khan. The family remains in disarray, with Mahbub expressing the difficulty of their situation as he remains alone while his son and daughter-in-law stay with Musa in Singapore.