Sheikh Russel (October 18, 1964 – August 15, 1975) was the youngest child of

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Sheikh Mujibur Rahman ( bn, শেখ মুজিবুর রহমান; 17 March 1920 – 15 August 1975), often shortened as Sheikh Mujib or Mujib and widely known as Bangabandhu (meaning ''Friend of Bengal''), was a Bengali politi ...

, the founding father and first

President of Bangladesh The president of Bangladesh ( bn, বাংলাদেশের রাষ্ট্রপতি — ) officially the President of the People's Republic of Bangladesh ( bn, গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশে ...

. Russel and most of his direct family were killed in their home during the 1975 military coup.

Early life

Russel was born on October 18, 1964, at

Bangabandhu Bhaban Bangabandhu Memorial Museum, also known as Bangabandhu Bhaban or Dhanmondi 32, located in Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh, was the personal residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was also called Bangabandhu, the founder and president of Banglades ...

Dhanmondi Dhanmondi ( bn, ধানমন্ডি) is a residential area in Dhaka, Bangladesh, known for its central location, cultural vibrancy and being home to the country's founder, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The origins of Dhanmondi can be traced back to t ...

, Dhaka, Bangladesh. He was the brother of

Sheikh Hasina Sheikh Hasina Wazed (''née'' Sheikh Hasina ; ; bn, শেখ হাসিনা ওয়াজেদ, Shēkh Hasinā, , born 28 September 1947) is a Bangladeshi politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh since January 2 ...

, the current

Prime Minister of Bangladesh The Prime Minister of Bangladesh ( bn, বাংলাদেশের প্রধানমন্ত্রী, translit=Bangladesher Prodhanmontri), officially Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh ( bn, গণপ্রজা ...

. At the time of his death, he was a student at the

University Laboratory School University Laboratory School (ULS) is a charter school in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States, serving grades K-12. Prior to 2002, the school was known as the Education Laboratory School or University High School (when referring to grades 9 throug ...

Death

{{Main, Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman#Events, l1=Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman On the morning of August 15, 1975, a group of young army officers surrounded Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's residence No. 32 in

with a tank. Later they killed

Sheikh Mujib Sheikh (pronounced or ; ar, شيخ ' , mostly pronounced , plural ' )—also transliterated sheekh, sheyikh, shaykh, shayk, shekh, shaik and Shaikh, shak—is an honorific title in the Arabic language. It commonly designates a chief of a ...

, with his family and his staff. The attackers then intercepted Russel and the personal secretary while fleeing. Terrified, the young Russel said in a tearful voice, "I'll go to my mother." Later, after seeing his mother's lifeless body, he beseeched in sorrow, "Send me to 'Hasu apa' (

)." According to the personal secretary, AFM Mahitul Islam,

"Russel came running and grabbed me. He told me, "Bhaiya (brother), are they going to kill me?" Tears welled up in my eyes when I heard his voice. An assassin came and hit me painfully with the butt of a rifle. Seeing me beaten, Russel let go of me. He (Sheikh Russel) was crying, saying, "I will go to my mother; I will go to my mother." An assassin came and said to him, "Let's go to your mother." I couldn't believe that the killers would kill such a young child. Russel was taken inside and then the brush fire."

Legacy

Several athletic organizations in Bangladesh have been named in memory of Russel, including the professional football club Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra, the Sheikh Russel School Table Tennis Tournament, the Sheikh Russel Memorial Sporting Club, and the Sheikh Russel Roller Skating Complex. In April 2014, a children's park named- "Sheikh Russel Shishutosh Angan" established in

Kalabagan Kalabagan ( bn, কলাবাগান) is a Thana in Dhaka, Bangladesh, adjacent to Dhanmondi and Jatiya Sangsad. Geography Kalabagan has an area of 1.26 km2. Demographics According to the 2001 Bangladesh census there are about 106 ...

, Dhaka. His birthday is observed annually by

Bangladesh Awami League Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

and organizations associated with it. The Sheikh Russel Jatio Shishu Kishore Parishad is a philanthropic organization based in Dhaka. On February 20, 2016, Prime Minister Hasina opened the Shaheed Sheikh Russel Bridge on the Shibbaria River. On October 2, 2016, the

Information and Communication Technology Division The Information and Communication Technology Division ( bn, তথ্য ও যোগাযোগ প্রযুক্তি বিভাগ), abbreviated to ICT- Division, is a department of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Inform ...

, Ministry of Posts, Telecom. and Information Technology, announced plans to build 2,000 computer labs named Sheikh Russel Digital Labs (SRDLs) in schools and colleges across Bangladesh.{{Cite web, url=https://ogronews.com/sheikh-rasel-quiz-result-2022-result-on-october-18-can-be-checked-online/, title=Sheikh Rasel Quiz Result 2022 on October 18, language=en-US, access-date=2022-10-10

References

{{Reflist {{Sheikh Mujibur Rahman {{Authority control {{DEFAULTSORT:Russel, Sheikh 1964 births 1975 deaths People from Dhaka Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Deaths by firearm in Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman family Children of national leaders Burials at Banani Graveyard Bangladeshi people of Arab descent