Jehad's mother Basirunnesa, accompanied by sons and daughters, holds his photo in front of their house in Ullapara upazila of Sirajganj district yesterday as the family prepares to observe 20th anniversary of his death today. Photo: STAR

It was October 10 of 1990. Naziruddin Jehad, the then president of Government Akbar Ali College unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, along with 60 other students from Ullapara in Sirajganj, joined the grand rally at Paltan in the capital, organised by the BNP led seven-party alliance to call for ending HM Ershad's autocratic regime.
At around 4:00pm, police charged baton at the rally and fired gunshots. Hit by a bullet, Jehad fell to his death, leaving his last words with Dr Milon, who also died in anti-Ershad movement a few days later.
"I came to join the movement against autocracy but now I am dying without seeing its fall. My soul will rest in peace when the autocratic regime is ousted," these are Jehad's last sayings, according to Dr Milon's writings in diary.
With Jehad's death, the popular movement to oust the autocratic government of Ershad took a momentum, spreading throughout the country. Within two months, the once military strongman was forced to step down, marking an end to nine years of his autocratic rule.
Jehad's family has now decided to file a murder case after the observance of 20th anniversary of his death today.
Former prime minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia will attend a memorial programme on the occasion at Sayedabad in Sirajganj tomorrow .
Jehad's family members said the then prime minister Khaleda Zia earlier promised to rename Ullapara College after Jehad, erect a concrete structure on his grave, and provide jobs for his family members as per their qualification.
Jehad's younger brother KM Shahid got a job in the labour ministry in 2004 but the other promises are yet to be fulfilled, they added.
Jehad's mother, sister and younger brother are dependent on Shahid's meagre income.
"Murder case against Ershad and others involved in my brother's killing will be filed after consulting with BNP leaders and lawyers," Shahid said.
"I want exemplary punishment to the killers of my son. I came to know from newspaper that Khaleda Zia is coming here and I would request her to cooperate in this regard,” Jehad's 90-year-old mother Basirunnessa said.
"Jehad's heroic death in the anti-Ershad movement paved the way for BNP's ascension to power, but his supreme sacrifice was never evaluated properly," said Azad Hossain, Ullapara upazila BNP general secretary.
Born on September 6 in 1969 at Nabogram village under Ullapara upazila, Jehad was ninth among the 10 children of Basirunnessa and late KM Mahmud.
Jehad, who helped create a strong foothold for Chhatra Dal in Ullapara, became the president of Government Akbar Ali College unit Chhatra Dal and the vice president of its Ullapara upazila unit in 1990.