Deafening silence

She will never run her supple fingers over the harmonium again. Her tender voice will be heard no more. It fell silent, untimely.

In a small rented room at the Public Works Department staff quarters of the capital, Sonali lived with her parents. The family was poor but appreciated her musical talent.

"When I felt sad, I would hum songs. Sonali was small then, a primary school girl, and she would repeat my songs," said her father Zakir Hossain, a house painter.

"Her voice was good. So I bought her tablas."

Zakir said her daughter trained at Shilpakala Academy, and sometimes sang at events. An artist had presented a harmonium to her.

The 14-year-old used to practice Bhawaiya songs twice every day. The neighbours were her regular audience.

"A few years ago, when she started singing in the morning, I would feel annoyed. Later on I figured she sang well. Gradually I became a regular listener," said Shirin Akter, a neighbour.

She said yesterday morning was the first time in months she did not hear the voice.

The day before, Sonali was killed after being run over by a bus in Ramna. She was a class IX student at Begum Rahima Ideal Girls High School, and dreamt of becoming a doctor.

Zakir said he filed a case with Shahbagh Police Station on Saturday night against the bus driver, conductor and helper, but none was arrested yet.

Meanwhile, local people formed a human chain in front of the Jatiya Press Club, in which more than 200 people, including students of her school, took part.

The protesters demanded the maximum punishment for the persons responsible for her death, and compensation for the victim family. Meanwhile, the Shahbagh police yesterday prayed to remand Shahin, driver of the bus that ran another school girl over on the same day, near Shahbagh.

Khadija Sultana Mitu, 12, a sixth-grader from Comilla, came to visit the Shishu Park.