Md. Anarul Islam

"Even after doing a hundred things, my son will not come back. My son gave his life for the country. We want his due recognition." - Anowara Begum, the martyr's mother.
Martyr Md. Anarul Islam was born in September 1994 in the village of Dakshin Gomgaon, Borobari, in the Mymensingh district. His father, Md. Rafiqul Islam (50), is a fruit vendor, and his mother, Anowara Begum (40), is a housewife. He lived with his wife near Uttara House Building. He sold vegetables on the sidewalk and sometimes helped his father with the fruit business. On August 4th, he went out to join the anti-discrimination student-public movement. He was missing since then. However, reliable sources say that he was shot on August 4th.
A bullet hit the right side of his head, shattering his brain, and another bullet pierced his forehead. He was then taken to Kuwait Moitri Hospital. From there, he was transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. After being unconscious for four days, he passed away on August 8th. The martyr's family learned about this three days later, on August 11th.
Background of Martyrdom
Although Shaheed Md. Anarul Islam was an auto-rickshaw driver, he was aware of the country and its people's condition. He was not unaware of the country's dire situation. That is why he spontaneously and voluntarily participated in the anti-discrimination student-public movement. One of the most dangerous areas for the movement was the capital, Dhaka. The administration's pet forces, the Chhatra League (composed of the world's top armed cadres), the tender-grabbing and extortionist Jubo League, and their leader, the Awami League, had held the entire capital city hostage at gunpoint. They had set up mobile checkpoints at every intersection. Just like the Pakistani hyenas of 1971, they checked everyone individually. Even after this, the freedom-seeking people, defying their bloodshot eyes, participated in the movement and struggle. The freedom-seeking people seemed to have gone mad for freedom. Shaheed Md. Anarul Islam became one such freedom-seeking person.
He took to the streets with the protesting students and the public in Abdullahpur, Uttara, on August 4th. Shaheed Md. Anarul Islam bravely faced the police bullets fired at the students. One bullet shattered his brain, and another pierced his forehead. From August 4th to August 11th, the martyr's family was unaware of his condition. At around 1 a.m. on August 11th, the police from Phulpur called his father and informed him about his death. They reportedly identified the body through fingerprints. The martyr's father said, "There were two bullet wounds on Anarul Islam's head." He was buried in his village the next day at 9:30 p.m.
Reactions of Friends and Relatives After the Martyr's Death
Shaheed Md. Anarul Islam's mother, Anowara Begum, demands the status of a martyr for her martyred son from the government. The martyr's father said, "Our small family consists of three daughters and one son. With my son's death, my helping hand is gone. It has become impossible for me to survive in my old age. I got one daughter married off a year and a half ago, and she has also become a widow today. Hundreds of students and people have died to bring down the illegitimate Hasina government. There is no sorrow in my son's death because the murderous government has been overthrown."
Special Information of the Martyr's Family
The martyrs are four siblings. Shaheed Anarul Islam (30) is the eldest. Among the sisters, Nurunnahar (20) and Alfina Akhtar (19) are married. The youngest sister, Aklima (15), is still young. The martyr's father sells vegetables and sometimes fruits on the sidewalk.
What Needs to be Done for the Martyr's Family
1. Assistance can be provided to the childless widow of the martyr to find employment.
2. A permanent shop can be arranged for the martyr's father.
Why did people from lower professions rush so extensively to a mass movement or a revolution? Why did they give their lives? We believe that the deaths of martyrs like Md. Anarul Islam, besides being mentioned with respect in the future, will also be a subject of research.
Personal Information of the Shaheed at a Glance
Name: Md. Anarul Islam
Father: Md. Rafiqul Islam (50)
Mother: Anowar Begum
Date of Birth: March 9, 1994
Permanent and Current Address: Village: Dakshin Gomgaon, Borobari, Union: 8 No. Rupsi, Police Station: Phulpur, District: Mymensingh
Place of Injury: Abdullahpur, Uttara, Dhaka
Time of Injury: August 4, 2024, 4 PM
Time and Place of Martyrdom: August 8, 2024, Kuwait Moitri Hospital, Dhaka
Cause of Martyrdom: Police firing
Martyr's Graveyard: Dakshin Gungaon Borobari, 8 No. Rupsi, Phulpur, Mymensingh