On the first anniversary of the fall of Sheikh Hasina's regime, Manwra Begum, mother of Abu Sayed, the first martyr of the July Mass Uprising, said her only wish is to live to see the Bangladesh her son dreamt of.

“I’m waiting to see that Bangladesh my son sacrificed his life for, a country where fascism never rises again, and there is no longer discrimination, violence or bloodshed,” said Manwara Begum, standing beside her son’s grave in their ancestral village of Jaforpara in Babnupur, Pirganj.

Abu Sayed's belongings, clothes and family members remain in the house unchanged. But his absence fills the space with a void that his parents say will never heal.

“There’s an ache in our hearts that words can’t describe. We carry this grief in silence,” she said.

Abu Sayed, hailed as one of the heroes of the July Mass Uprising, was from a modest family in Pirganj, about 50 kilometres from Rangpur city.

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On this solemn day, his mother and father Mokbul Hossain stood motionless beside their son’s grave with their eyes brimming with tears.

“My son’s sacrifice brought a new kind of independence to Bangladesh,” Manwara Begum said.

“I want that no other mother has to lose her child like I did. If I can die seeing that Bangladesh he dreamt of, it will bring me peace.”

She said people frequently visit their home to learn about her son’s bravery.

“Morning turns to evening, and visitors still come. But in the crowd, I feel a terrible emptiness. I live every moment with this grief. Who can fill this void?” she asked.

Abu Sayed’s father Mokbul Hossain said, “The sacrifices of many like my son freed the country from the clutches of an autocratic regime.”

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He said those responsible for his son’s death must be brought to justice. “I want the execution of the police officer who shot my son and all others involved in his killing.”

As the nation celebrates the first anniversary of the July Uprising, Abu Sayed’s family remains rooted in quiet resilience—still grieving, yet hopeful that his ultimate sacrifice will not go in vain.