The cruel garbage truck and the end of a dream

Initially a student of science department, Nayeem Hasan changed his department to humanities after enrolling at Notre Dame College, simply because he wanted to be a judge. He had a dream of taking admission at the law department of Dhaka University.

He wanted to do his part to help people get justice. Now, it is an irony that his friends are seeking justice for him. 

A city corporation garbage truck cut his life short on Wednesday.

According to eyewitness accounts, around 11:30am on that fateful day, Nayeem was crossing the road at the capital's Gulistan where the killer truck ran him over leaving the youth dead on the spot.

"Nayeem fell off the road as soon as the truck hit him, then the front wheels of the truck ran him over. Maybe he could have been saved if he hadn't been crushed," said eyewitness Aminul Islam Fahim.

"Most people in the crowd were reluctant to go near the body. Later we took him to hospital," said Firoz, another witness.

Nayeem's father Shah Alam Dewan said that Nayeem left home for college at 7am. He was supposed to return home around 12 noon.

"A police officer called from Nayeem's phone and informed that Nayeem was taken to hospital. Then I rushed there and saw my son's blood-soaked body," said Shah Alam, breaking down in tears.

Shah Alam Dewan said he had two sons. The eldest son Shahriar Muntasir Manmun is a student of Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP). Originally from Laxmipur's Ramganj upazila, he currently lives with his family near the Jhaulahati intersection at the Kamrangirchar area. Shah Alam, a retired army soldier, works at a Nilkhet Book store.

After retiring from the army, Shah Alam bought a piece of land in Kamrangirchar with his pension money and built a house. He later took a job in Nilkhet to support the studies of his two sons. Shah Alam wanted to help his boys realise their dreams.

"Nayeem's interest in law has been growing since he was in the ninth grade. But we can't say exactly when and how his fascination for law came about. But we didn't stop him from pursuing his dreams. There's no harm in wanting to be a judge rather than a doctor or an engineer," said Shah Alam.

File photo of Nayeem Hasan

Nayeem's classmate Tahsin Ahmed said, "He had a keen interest in rule of law and justice. He took me to Dhaka University law faculty several times to show the campus."

Nayeem was buried at the family graveyard of his village home in Ramganj, Laxmipur. Thousands of people from the East Kazirkhil area of ​​Ramganj municipality of the district took part in his funeral prayer and burial Thursday morning.

Nayeem's eldest maternal uncle and Cumilla Government Women's College assistant professor Faruk Ahmed said, "We wanted him to be a doctor or an engineer. That is why he was admitted to the science department in SSC. But he had a strong desire to be a judge in the future. That's the reason, he took admission to the humanities department of Notre Dame College after his SSC."

Still mourning the loss of his nephew, Faruk said, "It is tragic to witness the end of a youth's dream in such a way."

He also questioned how an incompetent and unlicensed driver gets a job in a city corporation.

"It shouldn't be termed an accident, rather a clear murder," he added.

In addition to demanding punishment for the driver for the murder, he also demanded appropriate compensation from the city corporation for employing incompetent people in the city corporation.

The family has filed a case with the Paltan Police over the tragic incident.

Nayeem's father said he wants the Gulistan road to be named after his beloved son in order to protect his son's memory and remind people of the importance of road safety.

"My son is no longer alive; I cannot change the fact. My earnest request to all the judges of the country– please play a strong role in keeping the country's roads safe, so that no other father has to bury their child," Nayeem's father told The Business Standard in tearful eyes.