Wasim

Martyred Wasim was born in 2006 in Kandigaon village of Inatabad Union, Jalalabad Upazila, Sylhet. His father’s name is Konor Ali and his mother’s name is Kalpona Akter. Wasim’s mother passed away when he was only five years old. Subsequently, his father remarried and started a new family elsewhere. From that time onward, Wasim was raised solely by his only sister. Due to the hardships faced by his sister’s struggling household, Wasim had no opportunity to pursue formal education. Eventually, out of necessity, he moved to Dhaka city. Renting a small house in Badda, Dhaka, he started living there with his sister’s husband and children. His brother-in-law worked as a welder, while Wasim took on work as a day laborer in other people’s homes. For several years, Wasim continued working in this capacity to support his impoverished sister’s family.
Family Financial Situation
Since the death of Wasim’s mother, his father ceased to maintain any contact or support for them. Unable to remain in his native area under these circumstances, Wasim moved to Dhaka to live with his sister. Life continued amid the hardships of his sister’s struggling household. Forced by circumstances, he chose to earn a livelihood through manual labor. His meager income barely sufficed for daily sustenance. Consequently, they had no opportunity to acquire any permanent land or build a house of their own. Although his father’s financial situation was somewhat better, his sister endured a life of extreme hardship.
Context of Martyrdom
On Friday, July 19, 2024, the entire country was engulfed in a student movement against inequality. Several hundred students lost their lives across the nation. In Dhaka alone, over a hundred people were killed by gunfire. Key hotspots of the protests included areas such as Jatrabari, Rampura, Badda, and Savar.
On that day, after finishing his duties at noon, Wasim returned home, bathed, and had his lunch. After attending Friday prayers, he came home and inquired about his nephew. Unable to find him at home, Wasim went outside searching for him. Shortly after leaving the house, while on the main road between Subasta and Shahjadpur, he was shot in the head by police gunfire. The bullet penetrated one side of his head and exited the other, severing his brain from his skull, which fell onto the road. He died instantly from severe blood loss at the scene.
Despite this, bystanders rescued him and initially took him to Agat Hospital. However, most private hospitals refused to provide treatment to protesters due to the authoritarian regime of Hasina, which ordered police cordons around all medical facilities. Consequently, the police prevented the general public from accessing medical care. Since Agat Hospital refused to admit him, he was later transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Meanwhile, locals informed Wasim’s family about his injury, prompting them to visit Agat Hospital. Upon seeing his photo, hospital officials identified him and informed them of his transfer to Dhaka Medical College.
Hearing this, Wasim’s sister and her husband rushed to Dhaka Medical College and searched every ward and bed for him. Other patients advised them to check the morgue. Upon hearing this, his sister was devastated. Reluctantly, she went to the morgue and, upon seeing her brother’s bloodied body, was left speechless. When they sought to take possession of the body from the hospital, the authorities refused to release it. After much dispute, they contacted the Bhatara police station, where the police threatened to arrest them and intimidated them with legal action. The ruling Awami League police explicitly stated that Wasim had died due to involvement in terrorist activities and therefore his body would not be handed over.
After four continuous days of turmoil and distress at the hospital morgue, they were finally able to retrieve their only brother’s body. That very night, they rented a truck, brought the body to their native village, and completed his burial there. Following her brother’s martyrdom, his sister suffered severe mental and physical illness.
A Glimpse of the Shaheed's Personal Information
Name: Wasim
Date of Birth: 2006
Place of Birth: Kandigaon, Inatabad, Jalalabad, Sylhet
Occupation: Employee at a Grocery Store
Father: Konar Ali
Mother: Late Kalpana Akter
Siblings: One sister, Shipa Begum (28), Housewife
Permanent Address: Kandigaon, Ward No. 9, Inatabad, Jalalabad, Sylhet
Current Address: Kandigaon, Ward No. 9, Inatabad, Jalalabad, Sylhet
Location of Incident: Main Road, Subasta, near Shahjadpur, Badda
Attacker: Police
Time of Injury: July 19, 2024
Type of Injury: Gunshot wound
Date, Time, and Place of Death: July 19, 2024, Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH)
Burial Site: Native village
Recommendations:
1. Provision of housing arrangements for the sister.
2. Establishment of a stable source of income.