Kamrul Hasan, 23, stepped off a bus on the Mayor Hanif Flyover on Wednesday night, eager for a long-awaited trip to Cox's Bazar with friends.

As he made his way to the Sayedabad Bus Terminal to meet them, his life was tragically cut short.

Unknown assailants attacked Kamrul, stabbing him repeatedly in the chest before fleeing with some of his belongings. A passerby later found him lying on the street and gasping for air, and contacted his family using a phone number Kamrul provided.

Kamrul's father, Imam Hossain, rushed to the spot after being informed, only to find him in a critical state.

"My son left the house excited for a trip to Cox's Bazar with his friends… but he came back to us as a lifeless body," said Hossain, his voice cracking with grief.

He was first taken to a nearby hospital, and from there he was shifted to Mugda Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

Kamrul, the eldest of four siblings, hailed from Noakhali and was living with his family in the Rayerbagh area. He used to run a cloth shop on a footpath in the Maniknagar area.

"He was the family's hope. My son dreamed of creating a better future for all of us. He had been very excited about his upcoming trip as he hardly found the time to go anywhere," Hossain added.

On Wednesday evening, Kamrul packed his bag and left home. His mother observed him having a heated exchange with someone over the phone.

She never imagined it would be the last time she would see him alive, said Hossain.

According to his family, Kamrul was carrying a smartphone and Tk 10,000 with him. The murderer only took away his phone and Tk 3,000. The family would later find Tk 7,000 inside one of his pockets, smeared in blood.

Police suspect it to be a mugging incident but are not ruling out other motives.

"We are trying to arrest those responsible for the murder," said Sub-inspector Atikul Islam of Jatrabari Police Station.