Cox’s Bazar’s Teknaf municipality Ward Councillor Ekramul Huq – killed recently in a ‘gunfight’ according to RAB and ‘in cold blood’ according to his wife – left behind two daughters: Tahiat Huq (14) and Tahian Huq (11).
Tahiat and Tahian both of the girls are students of BGB Public School reading respectively in class eight and class six. Their father used to drop and pick them from school every day. Numerous memories of going to and returning from school with father now are now haunting them day and night. He was their only friend and guide. The two siblings cannot stop their crying now, and do not know if it would stop ever at all.
They are repeating a same question – what was our father’s fault? Why was he killed in cold blood?
The two sisters have almost left eating since their father was killed five days ago, making them weaker day by day. At times they are wailing, and at times they are fainting. On Thursday, they had to be taken to Chattogram Medical College for treatment.
Describing the situation, Ekram’s younger brother Ashraful Islam told the Bangla Tribune, “I don’t know where the end to their sufferings is. Since their childhood they were brought up under the protection and affection of their father. They always got him at hand whenever needed.”
He said that’s why we are facing more problems to make them understand. They just cannot be calmed. At every sentence they are saying, “Bring back our father.”
Ekram’s wife Ayesha Begum said, “My husband was innocent. Let alone being involved in yaba dealing, he never mixed with any yaba dealer. There was no gunfight with RAB. He was killed in cold blood in the name of gunfight. What they are saying about recovering arms and drugs from the spot is a pure fiction. I want justice for my husband. I beseech the Prime Minister for departmental action.”
She also said, “Just a few days ago I had a beautiful family, but everything turned upside down all of a sudden. My daughters lost their father. Now who is go0nna take them to school? What will we live by?”
Nazrul Islam, Ekram’s another sibling, said, “There was no case with any police station against him. He was a respected man in society. He was upazila Jubo League President for long 12 years, a governing body member of BGB Public School.”
Like his nieces, Nazrul also asked the same question, “Why was he killed so brutally?”
Contacted, Teknaf Upazila AL President Nurul Bashar said, “Ekram was my political comrade for many years. I had the opportunity to see him very closely. He was a very honest man. On behalf of Upazila Awami League, I demand fair investigation into his killing.”