Water, water, who needs water?

In a video shared on social media by Mir Mahbubur Rahman Snigdho, his twin brother Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdho, 25, was seen distributing water to protesters after law enforcers fired teargas shells to disperse them in Azampur of Uttara on July 18.

Merely 15 minutes later, he was gone. A bullet hit his forehead and pierced through his right ear after law enforcers opened fire.

He was already dead when his friends brought him to Crescent Hospital.

"Babumoshai, zindagi badi honi chahiye, lambi nahi" was the caption of his profile picture on Facebook. It can be roughly translated to -- life should be meaningful, not long.

Mugdho did live a meaningful life.

He joined the protest on July 18 to help students, who he believed were fighting for a just cause, said his elder brother Mir Mahmudur Rahman Deepto.

From a young age, Mugdho always spoke up against injustice. He was a unit leader in the Armed Police Battalion Scout group and achieved the "National Service Award" from Bangladesh Scouts for his role in rescuing and evacuating people during the 2019 Banani fire, Deepto added.

After completing his undergraduate degree in the Mathematics department of Khulna University, he got admitted to Bangladesh University of Professionals this March for his MBA.

THE TWIN HE LEFT BEHIND

Among those Mugdho left behind was his twin brother, Snigdho. During the unrest, their family was vacationing in Cox's Bazar, but he and Mugdho stayed back.

Mugdho and Snigdho went to school together, and shared the same circle of friends. As is often the case with twins, Snigdho looks very similar to Mugdho, a face that now serves as a constant reminder to their family of the son they lost.

Since Mugdho's death, Snigdho has been completely traumatised.

"Please talk to my elder brother for details, I am in no condition to speak on record," he told this correspondent.

Their elder brother, Mahmudur added, "Snigdho has gone numb. He still hasn't processed what he has lost."

Snighdo was the first family member to see Mugdho's body. At first, he refused to accept that law enforcers' bullets claimed his brother's life.

For Snigdho, every moment, every memory is intertwined with his brother. It is not just the loss of a brother, but the loss of a part of himself, said Deepto.

Deepto said on the morning of July 18, they went to Cox's Bazar with the family.

"My mother had never seen the beach. Last year, Mugdho took our parents to Sundarbans for the first time. So, I took my parents to Cox's Bazar," Mahmudur said.

However, Mugdho and Snigdho did not go to Cox's Bazar. The reason was twofold -- Mugdho had plans to visit Tanguar Haor with his friends on July 20. Secondly, he wanted to participate in the quota reform protests.

Deepto received the news of Mugdho's death around 6:30pm.

After that, the family tried to return to Dhaka that very day, but were unsuccessful as no flights were available. Traveling by road would have taken too long. So, they returned to Dhaka on an early flight the next morning.

Deepto said he did not know how to break the news of Mugdho's death to their mother. Besides, their mother is a heart patient, so he had to be careful.

First, he told them Mugdho got slightly injured, then he took their phones from them, saying they might hear rumours.

Throughout the night, he prepared his parents for the news. He told his mother that Mugdho was in a hospital, then he told them Mugdho's condition was critical.

After finding out the news of his death, their mother broke down. She lost consciousness at least seven times that day. She has still not fully recovered.

"Among us three brothers, Mugdho was closest to my mother. His death has shattered her world," said Deepto.

THE FRIEND WHO SAW HIM DIE

When Mugdho was shot, his friend Zakirul Islam was by his side.

"The bullet hit him in the forehead, it exited through the right side of his head," he said.

"He died right there on the spot, in front of our eyes," he added.

"Mugdho was giving everyone water. None of us had any firearms or anything else. Yet they shot my friend like this? How can I forget this scene?" he added.