Was my husband murdered because of his patriotism

The atmosphere at the RAB-7 headquarters in Patenga, Chattogram, grew unbearably heavy on Tuesday, 20 January, as the grieving widow of Deputy Assistant Director (DAD) Motaleb Hossain, Shamsunnahar, broke down in tears while speaking to reporters. Her heartrending cries reflected the anguish of a family suddenly torn apart by violence.

“My husband was a patriot,” she sobbed, her voice trembling. “He loved his country more than anything—even more than his own family. Is it because of this patriotism that he was killed in such a brutal manner? Such injustice… If a devoted soldier can be murdered like this, who will want to serve in the armed forces?”

Shamsunnahar described the horrifying state in which her husband’s body was found. “His entire body was destroyed. His bones were broken, his back slashed, and gunshot wounds were evident. Blood was everywhere,” she said, her grief palpable. She urged the authorities for a fair and transparent trial and demanded the death penalty for the terrorists responsible for her husband’s murder.

The tragic news reached her on Monday evening at their home near Pilkhana, Dhaka, when she saw the announcement on a television news scroll. She immediately travelled to Chattogram with her children: her eldest son, Mehedi Hasan Bhuiya, and her daughters, Shamima Jannat and Ishrat Jahan Muntaha. Mehedi is currently studying Statistics in his first year at Tejgaon College, while Shamima is in class ten and Muntaha in class five. Amidst her mother’s cries, Muntaha was seen comforting her, a small yet poignant act of courage in the midst of grief.

Mehedi Hasan also voiced his demand for justice. “After 5 August, I believed we were living in a free country—but I never imagined someone could be murdered in such a manner here,” he said. He has formally applied to the government for a position in RAB or the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), following in his father’s footsteps.

Family Details

The family’s collective grief has drawn attention to the risks faced by security personnel, and their call for justice resonates across the nation. In the heart of Chattogram, the tragedy has sparked a sombre reflection on the sacrifices made by those who serve the country.