Abdul Wadud

Abdul Wadud was born on January 1, 1986, in Bakerganj, Barisal. He owned a clothing store at Priangan Shopping Center in the New Market area. Abdul Wadud was the third of two brothers and two sisters. His father was Taher Ali Akand (68), and his mother was Majeda Begum (60). Abdul Wadud and Shahnaz were married through a family arrangement on January 7, 2013. In 2017, their only son, Huzaifa Akand, was born. Wadud lived with his wife and son in his father-in-law's government quarters in Palashi. His seven-year-old son, Huzaifa, is a first-grade student at Azimpur Little Angels School.
Background of the Incident
The Hasina government had turned Bangladesh into a dysfunctional state in 15 years. Sheikh Hasina planned to stay in power permanently. Although they abolished the unreasonable freedom fighter quota in government jobs in 2018 due to protests, they brought it back in 2024 through a partisan judge in the High Court. Their aim was to make Hasina's rule permanent by issuing fake freedom fighter certificates to party members through former freedom fighter minister Mozammel, a one-time terrorist and rapist, and appointing them to government jobs through quotas. University and college students began protesting to ban the quota system, as they did in 2018. Chhatra League, known as the "scoundrel and rapist league," used batons on the peaceful movement. Throughout July, the police, BGB, RAB, and Ansar took to the streets with weapons of war to suppress students and the public. Thousands of students and citizens were injured and killed. The internet and mobile networks were shut down, and a curfew was imposed. Students and citizens were arrested from their homes. In such a turbulent time, Abdul Wadud was shot in the New Market area on the afternoon of July 19th. The bullet hit his head. He died while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Describing the incident, the martyr's wife said, "My husband had a clothing business in New Market. We live in Azimpur Colony. On Friday, July 19th, he went through the colony to the opposite of New Market Gate No. 1. From there, he tried to go to the market after praying at the mosque. He was standing there talking to me on his mobile. He had just hung up and hadn't put the phone in his pocket when suddenly the police started firing from the Nilkhet side in the afternoon. About 50-60 people were standing there; among them, 5-6 people fell on the spot in a bloody state, and my husband was one of them. People took him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in an injured condition.
My husband wanted to go to the market if the situation seemed good from there, otherwise, he would come home. As soon as he was shot, his mobile fell on the street. A brother there took the mobile and saw my number in the last dial and called me to tell me what happened. I spoke to him 2-3 minutes before he was shot. I couldn't believe the news. At first, we didn't know which hospital he was taken to. Later, when I told my brother, he ran to the emergency department of Dhaka Medical and saw that my husband was being treated. He died while undergoing treatment half an hour after being taken to the hospital. I couldn't see my husband anymore. After a lot of government stalling and spending money, we got his body from the hospital three days after his death. Later, he was taken to his village home in Bakerganj, Barisal, and buried."
A murder case was filed against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, former Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, and 130 others in this incident. The deceased businessman's brother-in-law, Abdur Rahman, filed the case at New Market Police Station on August 21st.
Family Statements and Economic Condition
Abdul Rob, the father-in-law of Shaheed Abdul Wadud, a retired government employee, said, "I married my daughter off only 12 years ago. I can't look at my grandson's face. My son-in-law was a very good person. My only wish to Allah is that he be a resident of Paradise."
Brother-in-law Abdur Rahman said, "It's very difficult to describe the situation and the pain of that day. My elder sister is always sad. I can't look at my nephew's face. I pray to Allah that no other family has to face such a problem."
Wadud had a clothing business. Huzaifa is their only child. Wadud's wife, Shahnaz Parveen, is distraught thinking about her child's future after her husband's death.
She said, "What will I do, who will I turn to, what will happen to my child's future? My eight-year-old child has become fatherless. His father loved him very much. He constantly draws pictures of bullets, blood, and police, expressing his inner pain through his drawings. When he misses his father, he puts his hand on his chest and shows me. My child has become silent without his father.
"When a woman loses her husband, her whole world becomes empty. My family is completely finished, there is nothing left. My child has become an orphan, helpless. Now I have to try something to stand on my own feet. I don't understand what to do. How will I raise my child if I don't get a job? How will I make him a good human being? My parents are elderly, and their income source has also stopped. I don't know how to start again. I completed my diploma in architecture from Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology. Then I couldn't finish my BSc due to various problems. I worked for a private consulting firm for some time. I left the job after having my child. In this situation, I desperately need a job. If I don't get a job now, I will be swept away with my child. I ask the government to rehabilitate me and arrange employment."
Personal Information of the Shaheed at a Glance
Name : Abdul Wadud
Profession : Businessman
Father : Md. Taher Ali Akand
Mother : Majeda Begum
Wife : Shahnaz Parveen
Child : Huzaifa
Permanent Address : Dudhal Bakerganj, Barisal
Current Address : 38, (4th Floor), Azimpur Road, Ward No. 26 Lalbagh, Dhaka
Place of Incident : New Market Area
Attacker : Police and Chhatra League
Time of Injury : July 19, 2024, approximately 2 pm
Type of Injury : Gunshot wound
Date, Time
and Place of Death : July 19, 2024, New Market, Dhaka
Current Location of
the Martyr's Grave : Bakerganj, Barisal.
Proposals
• Arrange regular monthly allowance for the martyr's family.
Arrange a job for his wife.