Cumilla's Apratim laid to eternal rest leaving everyone in tears

Amid tears and mourning, Ishayat Shahriar Apratim, the only child of Comilla University Associate Professor Dr Nahida Begum and KM Firoz Shahriar, was laid to rest on Sunday.

Apratim was buried at a graveyard near his home in Kotbari Gandhamati after two janazas earlier in the day.

His first janaza was held at the central field of Comilla University at around 10AM, followed by a second at Gandhamati at 11AM.

Apratim, a seventh-grade student at Cumilla Border Guard Public School, went missing on Friday (September 18) afternoon.

According to his family, Opratim left his home in the Kotbari Gandhamati area at around 2:30PM on Friday with his mother’s iPhone, saying he was going out to take photographs with friends. But he did not return.

After failing to locate him despite searches in several areas, his father, KM Firoz Shahriar, filed a general diary with Sadar Dakshin Police Station that day. Following his disappearance, family members, teachers and students of Cumilla University, and police conducted searches at various locations.

After nearly 21 hours, Apratim’s body was recovered around noon on Saturday from a wooded area in the Sananda locality, near the Lalmai hills and adjacent to Comilla University.

The body was later taken to Cumilla Sadar Hospital, where an autopsy was conducted. Police said there were signs of severe injury to his head.

Following the autopsy on Saturday night, Apratim’s body was taken to his family home in Kotbari Gandhamati. Relatives, teachers, students and local residents gathered there to see him for the last time, as grief swept through the area.

Several people have been detained for questioning over suspected involvement in the incident.

Police said they have collected some clues and are working to determine the circumstances and motive behind the killing.

Apratim’s death has cast a pall of grief over Cumilla University. His mother, Dr Nahida Begum, has been left devastated by the loss of her only child.