Apratim laid to rest near his home
funeral prayer of Ishrat Shahriar Apratim. Photo: Collected.
Ishrat Shahriar Apratim was laid to rest today at the graveyard near his home in the Gandhamati area of Kotbari, Cumilla, where he was born 13 years ago and grew up. His burial followed two funeral prayers.
Apratim was the only child of Dr Nahida Begum, a teacher in the Department of Bangla at Cumilla University (CoU), and businessman K M Firoz Shahriar. Nearly 22 hours after he had gone missing, police recovered his body Saturday from a forested area of the Lalmai hills in Sananda village, near Cumilla University.
Apratim’s first funeral prayer was held around 10am today (Sunday), on the premises of CoU’s central mosque. University students later staged a protest there demanding justice for his murder. His body was then taken to their home, Nurjahan Villa, in the Gandhamati area of Kotbari, for the second funeral prayer.
The second funeral prayer was held at the Gandhamati Eidgah field around 11am. He was subsequently buried at the nearby Gandhamati graveyard.
Apratim’s paternal grandparents’ home is in Kushtia, while his maternal grandparents’ home is in Chandpur. Relatives said that, in accordance with the family’s wishes, he was buried near his home in Gandhamati, where he was born and raised.
A large number of people, including teachers and students of Cumilla University, attended both funeral prayers. An atmosphere of grief prevailed in the area while the sobbing by the relatives added to the sorrow.
Meanwhile, Cumilla University students blocked the highway in the Kotbari Bishwa Road area, demanding justice for boy's murder.
They said that no one is safe in Cumilla city and that they had gathered to demand security for city residents.
