For Ekramul’s family, justice has taken a backseat to daily survival
On 26 May 2018, a spine-chilling call record revealed that Ekramul Haque was executed in cold blood, allegedly by Bangladesh’s security forces. The AL regime kept his family quiet, but now they want answers
The call somehow connected, and auto-recording captured a chilling moment. Ekramul Haque, a Teknaf Municipality councillor, was brutally executed. His daughter's desperate voice echoed throughout the recording, pleading, "Abbu, why are you crying?"
That was Enamul's last cry as he was shot to death immediately afterwards, allegedly by members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
The audio clip, which later went viral, shook the nation.
"We never filed a case. Some relatives tried, but they were deterred. Even after Sheikh Hasina's departure, I haven't been able to file a case. My relatives suggest trying now, but I don't have the means," Ayesha said. She believes justice is possible if the government supports her. "If they help me file and fight the case, I will do it."
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Six years have passed since that fateful day. Sheikh Hasina, once the patron of the 'elite force' that lost its way, has been ousted, and the RAB has issued an apology for its actions over these years.
Yet, for Ekramul's widow, Ayesha, the question remains: Will her family ever see justice?
Now a single mother of two, justice feels like a distant, unaffordable luxury for her.
"Raising two daughters alone is overwhelming," she told The Business Standard. "How can I manage the hassle and expense of legal procedures when every day is a struggle for survival?"
What happened to Ekramul?
On 26 May 2018, during Ramadan, Ekramul received multiple calls from someone Ayesha recalls as Shakib. According to Ayesha, Shakib insisted that RAB officials wanted to meet Ekramul over some "land issues".
"That day, there were many RAB vehicles roaming around Teknaf," Ayesha recounted.
He avoided meeting them until night, but Shakib eventually convinced him. Within half an hour of leaving home, he was killed.
Ayesha alleges that Shakib had a quarrel with her brother-in-law, though her husband appeared to be on good terms with him. "And yet, they killed him," she said.
"His hands were tied when they killed him. After the call was connected, our phone's auto-recording feature captured their conversation," Ayesha said. "In the audio, you can hear them saying to loosen the knots and plant weapons on him after he was shot."
Later that night, Ayesha confronted Shakib and another officer named Ruhul Amin near the hospital, demanding answers. "They said, 'We had orders from higher-ups,'" she said. "I cursed them that Allah would hold them accountable one day."
Ayesha collected soil stained with her husband's blood and carried it home, holding on to it as a symbol of her grief and pursuit of justice.
The forces of the previous regime kept her and her daughters under watch so that they remained silent.
A timeline of fear and deceit
The aftermath of Ekramul's killing left Ayesha and her daughters in a state of fear and uncertainty. Despite his being an Awami League politician, Sheikh Hasina's government offered no support.
"When I asked the Home Minister [Asaduzzaman Khan] and Obaidul Quader why my husband was killed, they admitted there was no case against him but offered no explanation. They promised to look into it but never contacted me again," Ayesha said.
Fearing for their safety, Ayesha took her daughters to Chattogram at one point to stay with her mother.
The initial buzz of the call recording subsided, and with it the government's necessity to keep any pretense of helping Ayesha. But that does not mean the family would be relieved of harassment.
"Nobody from the government or the party came to check on us. Instead, we were constantly monitored by unknown individuals in plain clothes. They even tried to take our phones, threatening that we could be killed on the street anytime."
Helplessness and cry for justice
After Ekramul's death, his younger brother took over as a councillor. He continued to send Ayesha Tk10,000 every month until local governments were dissolved after Hasina fled.
For Ayesha, raising her two daughters alone has been an immense struggle.
When asked how she copes with her daughters, Ayesha replied, "It's very painful. Ekramul's family is big, but I've had to endure this alone.
"We never filed a case. Some relatives tried, but they were deterred. Even after Sheikh Hasina's departure, I haven't been able to file a case. My relatives suggest trying now, but I don't have the means," Ayesha said.
She believes justice is possible if the government supports her.
"If they help me file and fight the case, I will do it. I want everyone involved to be held accountable. Interrogating officials like Ruhul Amin could reveal the truth."
