Ashraful Howlader

Ashraful Howlader, a brilliant student and a shining star, hailed from Charlakshmipur village in Shilarchar Union of Madaripur district. He was born on January 1, 2004. Ashraful was the youngest of three children in a poor family. Like his friends, Ashraful also dreamed of becoming successful after completing his studies and helping his family. However, before that dream could materialize, he only had the opportunity to study up to class seven due to his family's financial constraints. In a family struggling to meet basic food needs, aspiring to achieve something big through education was nothing short of a mere fantasy. That is why Ashraful had to join a garage for work. Ashraful used to work on engines in a car garage in Aftabnagar, Badda Thana.
Family's Economic Condition
A close-knit poor family of seven members, including his father, mother, elder brother, sister-in-law, and brother's son. The family's main source of income rested on Ashraful's shoulders. Ashraful's father is a rented CNG driver, and his elder brother is a rented van driver. It is becoming difficult for the family to sustain themselves with the income of his father and brother. Besides, they do not have any land for crop production. They have a small two-room tin-roofed house on 5 decimals of land.
Background of the Incident
Martyr Ashraful's daily routine was to work in the garage and come to his sister's house for lunch. On the day of the incident, August 5th, he even spoke to his sister on the phone about coming for lunch, but he never made it. He joined the anti-discrimination movement directly from the garage. While celebrating the victory procession, he was shot at 5:30 PM by police officers, devoid of human qualities and instigated by the fascist dictator Hasina. The killer police members did not stop after killing him rather, they made all-out effort to disappear his body and as a part of it, they took his dead body to Hatirjheel. Over there, someone familiar to Ashraful, identified his dead body and informed it to the associates of the movement. Seeing the situation unfavorable, at one point, the police members sent Ashraful's body to the hospital. At night, the family received the news and identified Ashraful's body from the hospital morgue, took it to their village home, and there, Shaheed Ashraful was laid to rest forever.
Reminiscences of the Martyr's Close Relatives
Having lost her beloved son in this manner, his mother is almost speechless. It is as if she has lost her power of speech. It has been many days since she lost her precious son, yet she cries every day, saying, "My son couldn't come to eat, they didn't even let my son have his lunch." Every day, the mother goes to the grave and laments like this for her precious son. I learned from his mother that Ashraful liked keeping birds. In the small two-room house, it is as if Ashraful's left-behind memories are scattered all around. And seeing those pet birds left behind by Ashraful, his mother is constantly tearful.
No one knows how heavy a son's body is on a father's shoulders except the father himself. The father says Ashraful was a very talented and hardworking boy. He could never tolerate injustice. "The dream was that one-day Ashraful would completely take over the family's responsibilities, and then I wouldn't have to drive a CNG anymore. I remain that CNG driver, but my precious son is no more."
His sister, with a tearful voice, says, "Ashraful was my only beloved younger brother. We were very close siblings. We spent our childhood and adolescence together. The brother who used to drive me crazy by calling me 'Apu, Apu' is no more. There is no one to tell the stories of the whole day after returning home from work. It was in Ashraful's voice that I first heard the call 'Apu' (sister)."
His elder brother says, "The place of an elder brother is like that of a father. The fascist government finished off my only beloved brother. It was in his voice that I first heard the call 'Bhaiya,' no one will call me 'Bhaiya' anymore. Ashraful used to share everything, good and bad, with me. He always consulted on how to alleviate the family's poverty, how to organize the house."
A close uncle of the martyr says, "Ashraful was a wonderful boy. His politeness and humility were remarkable. He was the apple of everyone's eye, not just our family's, but the entire area's."
Ashraful's aunt says, "His sense of respect and love was extraordinary. His loving call of 'Phupu, Phupu' still rings in my ears. How cruelly they finished off my precious son."
His friends reminisce, "Ashraful was a very sociable boy. We never saw him do any bad things. He always spoke with a smile. He was always worried about his family. He was a very hardworking boy. He loved to do all his work himself. He always gave us good advice. He was a pious boy."