'My son didn't get to see his first child': Khagrachhari family laments as youth killed in clash

Toiching Marma, 20, was having breakfast with his family in their home in Bottola area of Khagrachhari's Guimara at 11am on Sunday (28 September), when he got a call from his jeep driver that the vehicle needed fuel.

At around 11:30am, Toiching, soon-to-be a father for the first time, left home, not knowing it would be the last time his family saw him alive.

Tension had already been running high in the district. The day before, the administration had enforced Section 144 in Sadar and Guimara upazilas amid an ongoing road blockade.

On Sunday, clashes broke out between the blockaders and those opposing the blockade. At one point, Toiching was reportedly shot.

His family, however, did not learn of this until late at night.

Recalling the events of the day, Toiching's father, Holachai Marma, said they lost contact with him as soon as he left.

At home, his nine-month pregnant wife, Tanu Marma, and his mother, Danuching Marma, waited anxiously, knowing trouble had broken out in town.

As hours passed without any word, Holachai began searching for his son.

The confirmation finally came around 8pm.

"Toiching sat and ate rice with me at 11am. In the meantime, his jeep driver called and asked him to get fuel for the vehicle. He left the house around 11:30am and went to Ramsu Bazaar. Since then, we could not find any trace of him," Holachai told TBS.

"We kept calling his mobile repeatedly but got no response. In the meantime, we received news that he was shot during the clash at Ramsu Bazaar. However, we could not find any trace of him at Guimara or Khagrachhari Sadar Hospital.

"Later, when I called his mobile phone around 6pm, a police officer answered. Even then, he did not tell me that my son had died. Hoping he was alive, I went to Khagrachhari Hospital and identified his body at the morgue around 8pm," the grieving father added.

Holachai said his son had never taken part in political activities.

"My son never went to any political meeting or procession in his life. He started supporting the family by driving a jeep from a young age. I got him married just about a year ago. His wife, Tanu Marma, is now nine months pregnant. Her due date is 9 October.

"My son left without seeing the face of his first child. And the girl became a widow at a young age for no reason," he said.

He added that he does not expect justice, but appealed for support for his daughter-in-law.

"My son is gone. It is not possible to get him back. We want the government to stand by my son's widowed wife. We demand that she be given a job according to her qualifications so that her future life with her child is secured."

Toiching's elder brother, Ukhching Marma, said the family could not take Toiching's body home.

"The administration did not hand over Toiching's body to us. They brought the body on Monday night and personally supervised the cremation. We were only able to see his face, which was completely crushed. We heard that he was shot in the leg. Afterward, he was beaten," he said.

The indefinite road blockade had been called by Jumma Chhatra-Janata on Saturday (27 September) in protest of the rape of a Marma teenager.

Clashes erupted the next day as some opposed the blockade, leaving three people from the Marma community, including Toiching, dead. Sixteen law enforcement officials were also injured.