Dhaka: The rickshaw, which carried the body of Ghulam Nafiz, a martyr in the anti-discrimination movement, will be kept as a memorial at the July Uprising Memorial Museum in Ganabhaban here. Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology and Information and Broadcasting Adviser Md. Nahid Islam made this announcement during a ceremony where the rickshaw was officially handed over to the museum, according to a ministry press release.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the adviser expressed his gratitude to the rickshaw-puller Noor Mohammad for his bravery and assured him of financial assistance. The decision to preserve the rickshaw follows a report published by the Bangla newspaper, the daily Prothom Alo, under the headline ‘Nuru has sold the rickshaw where the frozen body of Nafiz was lying.’ Upon learning of the report, the adviser instructed his office to locate both the rickshaw and the rickshaw-puller.
Noor Mohammad, also known as Nuru, revealed that he had sold the rickshaw to Ahsanul Kabi
r Siddiqui Kaiser, an expatriate residing in London, for Taka 35,000. When contacted, Ahsanul Kabir Siddiqui expressed his willingness to donate the rickshaw to the July Uprising Memorial Museum. Subsequently, the rickshaw was handed over to Mahfuj Alam, the Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser and Joint Convener of the July Uprising Memorial Museum.
Golam Nafiz, a student of Banani Vidyaniketan School and College, was shot dead on August 4 during the anti-discrimination student movement. The incident occurred under the foot over-bridge of Farmgate at approximately 4:30 pm. Despite being injured, Nafiz was found holding onto the rickshaw rod with one hand when his bullet-ridden body was placed on the footrest of the rickshaw by the police. The rickshaw-puller attempted to rush him to the hospital, but Nafiz succumbed to his injuries.