Dhaka, Bangladesh – September 2024 — Mahabubar Rahman will never forget the day his only son, Mahamudur Rahman Shoikot, was killed. Although Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh’s former prime minister, may not have pulled the trigger, Rahman holds her responsible for his son’s death. “Sheikh Hasina is a criminal responsible for his death,” he said. “She shattered us.”
Grief-stricken far is one of many who have lost loved ones during the violent final days of Hasina’s regime, which came to an abrupt end in August after a mass protest movement forced her from power. Hasina fled Bangladesh on 5 August, escaping to India as protests against her tyrannical 15-year rule reached its peak, leaving behind a death toll of over 1,000.
Protests Turn Deadly: Fall of a Regime
What began as small student protests in July swelled into a nationwide revolution after Hasina ordered her police and paramilitary forces to unleash brutal crackdowns. Armed with batons, tear gas, rubber bullets, and eventually live ammunition, security forces met protesters with deadly force. Demonstrations calling for Hasina’s resignation spread like wildfire, culminating in the deaths of many, including Shoikot.
On 19 July, 19-year-old Shoikot, known affectionately as “Tuna” to his family, left home after telling his mom he was briefly going out. As violence engulfed the streets of Dhaka, his family frantically tried to reach him. Later, a stranger answered his phone with devastating news: Shoikot had been shot dead.
His sister, Sabrina Afroz Sabonti, was rushed to the hospital only to be leda to morgue, where she found her brother’s lifeless body. “It was a shot to kill, nothing else,” she said. “I never got to say goodbye.”
Shoikot, the youngest in his family, had been the baby of the household, adored and protected by his parents and elder sisters. He had been banned from attending protests, but his frustration with the government’s violence led him to defy his family’s wishes secretly
Hasina’s Dramatic Escape and Path to Justice
a movement that toppled Hasina reached a fever pitch on 5 August when almost a million protesters marched towards the prime minister’s residence. As violence escalated, the army chief refused to order the massacre of civilians. Faced with an ultimatum from the military, Hasina fled the country with her sister to India, where she remains in hiding.
With the former prime minister now in exile, Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, faces a grim aftermath of bloodshed. The death toll has been confirmed at over 1,000, while about 400 protesters were permanently blinded by police firing metal pellets. For families like Rahman’s, the pursuit of justice is only beginning.
More than 100 families have already filed police cases directly naming Hasina, her ministers, and senior police officers as responsible for deaths. Video evidence has surfaced showing armed police shooting live rounds into crowds, adding fuel to calls for accountability.
“Before, filing a case was pointless – how can you ask for justice from killers?” Rahman said. “Now I have hope, but nothing will compensate for what she took from us.”
A Bleak Path to Accountability
While Yunus has pledged that Hasina “must be brought back to face trial,” the likelihood of her extradition from India remains uncertain. Hasina’s close relationship with the Indian government has made Dhaka’s calls for her return difficult to realize. Rumors of her seeking asylum in the UK are circulating, though experts believe this is unlikely given the severity of charges against her, including crimes against humanity.
Bangladesh’s judiciary, severely weakened during Hasina’s rule, may not be strong enough to handle a trial of this magnitude. Political analyst Zahid Ur Rahman doubts that domestic courts can bring justice. “The international criminal court is our only hope,” he said.
For Rahman’s family, justice is a long road ahead. Sabonti is willing to wait, no matter how long it takes. “We will not stop until my brother’s death is avenged,” she said.
As Bangladesh seeks to heal from one of its bloodiest chapters, wounds remain fresh for families like Rahmans. Shoikot’s death, like many others, has left an indelible mark. His far Mahabubar continues to grieve silently, sobbing in his yogurt shop, while his mom’s cries still echo through his home.
In a country still struggling to find justice, one thing is clear: the pain of loss will not easily be erased.
