As salamu alaikum, I am Rafid, I know how hectic and miserable everyone’s days are passing, still couldn’t resist mine from sharing. It’s 28th of July and my mental trauma, rage and anger still hurt me more than my physical wounds- even after almost 2 weeks have passed.
I was in our campus on the 15th instance, the day BSL ran riot and blatantly injured many of the students. It was about 5.30 pm. I was at Raju Vaskorjo with a few pedestrians and 2 or 3 presses. BSL leaders-playing ‘energising songs’ in full volume under Raju Vaskorjo- suddenly stopped and a leader ordered the BSL and armed mobs they brought from outside the campus to march towards Amar Ekushey Hall to teach the ‘Rajakars’ a lesson.
I was walking with two other press people, when I saw some of the BSL people were questioning a student (assuming from the bag on his shoulder, young age, and bandana of Lal Sobuj over his head).
After checking the phone of that student, someone from them shouted, “Beat him up, Quota Razakarer Baccha”, and about 25-30 BSL mob gathered and beat him up so badly that blood from his head was spilling from the footpath on the road. This incident took place in front of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, adjacent to TSC.
I was surrounded by all BSL people, still I rushed to the spot and just urged, ” Bhai please ar maairen na, chele ta mara jabe”, and somehow succeeded to snacth the boy from them receiving some beating on my own.
Almost reaching for a rickshaw to take the boy to DMC, someone from behind shouted, ”Ei shaala o ase, ore o maar”, and all of a sudden, I too, had to face the similar fate as the boy. They blatantly hit me with Green Colored Pipes and Hockey Sticks, the result of which is shown in the picture.
I got 8 stitches in the injured area of my head, but didn’t feel safe to remain there for long as BSL was attacking DMC and they also had shut down the emergency gate of DMC for some time. A lionhearted pedestrian and later my friends from varsity rushed from wherever they were, risking their lives. I will forever be indebted to you all, and I mean it.
Later, from that day forward I started playing hide and seek. I took treatment from a local hospital, also by maintaining as much secrecy as possible because many government agencies were searching for wounded students and abducting them without any warrant.
I had to remain in complete bed rest, and the wound didn’t heal, rather it got worse. Later, a few days back I had to reopen the stitches, wash inner infections and get back several stitches again. Now, the doctor said, it will take some time to heal.
Police in my area has already filed 2 cases against unanimous 2 thousand students approx and I am fearing I might face this sort of harassment, despite being on full bed rest from 15th July. Multiple news of raids has occured in my area, Mirpur, and Mirpur DOHS and they are taking whomever they please, disregarding their involvement in any activities.
I am grateful to Allah that I am still alive. At the same time I feel ashamed that I have lost too many dear ones for the cause. I feel cowardly that I seek refuge from the state even if it was me who got assaulted.
I don’t regret what I had done after and the consequences that I had to face and might face in the near future.
The only thing I fear is ours is not a political family and my former govt employee, retired father and aged mother wouldn’t be able to bear the situation if I face enforced disappearance. I am fearing that I might face enforced disappearance from government organs and local BSL
Thats why, I am requesting you to keep this record, in case I am abducted, so that I know at least someone is out there who can help.
Also, as you can see from the Prothom Alo report, another photojournalist is taking photos of wounded me, can you give me their contact number? I think there’s a possibility they took other snaps as well via which I can identify the hooligans who attacked and brutally assaulted that student and me.
I actually do not know whom to let this know… That’s why I am writing this…with one question revolving in my mind non-stop- was it too much to ask for a just society? Was it too much to ask for not to be beaten up for saving a human being? Is it too much to ask for basic humility and common sense, even if someone is a member of any particular political group?
Please, keep this anonymous, and the pictures too…only publish if I get abducted…as you know… Pablo Neruda said…
You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming…
