“My son was studying with so much struggle. Just a few days ago, he called and said, ‘Ma, I’ll get a job, and you won’t have to suffer anymore.’ Now, that son didn’t come back—only his body did.”

These words, filled with anguish, were spoken by Anima Baraik, the mother of Sanju Baraik, a Dhaka University (DU) student who died after falling from the roof of Jagannath Hall’s Rabindra Bhavan. Anima, a tea garden worker, toiled eight hours a day to support her son’s education.

Sanju Baraik was a student of the Anthropology Department at DU in the 2020-21 academic year. His home was in Chunarughat Upazila, Habiganj. Among four brothers, Sanju was the second. His elder brother is an auto-rickshaw driver, and his father, Monirod Baraik, works as a ‘village police’ member.

On Monday at around 5:30 AM, Sanju’s body was recovered. The university administration promptly stated that his death resulted from a fall from the hall’s roof.

Sanju’s father said on Monday, “My son never strayed onto a wrong path. His dream was to become an officer and change society. Now, all those dreams are shattered.”

The news of Sanju’s death, a young man from a tea worker family studying at a prestigious university, has left his classmates, friends, and teachers devastated.

Bijoy Hazra, a teacher at a local primary school, said, “He was the first from our tea garden to get the opportunity to study at Dhaka University. That boy was our pride.”

Another teacher, Sohag Mia, added, “When a talented young person falls like this, the responsibility isn’t just his—it’s ours too. If someone had been there for him in time, perhaps we wouldn’t have had to witness this tragedy.”

Sanju’s friend Shubho Rudra said, “For the past few days, Sanju was very quiet. He wasn’t talking much with anyone. I could sense something was troubling him.”

Ahmedabad Union Parishad Chairman Zakir Hossain believes, “Sanju’s death is not just a loss for one family but an irreparable loss for the entire union.” Kamrul Hasan, a student at Chunarughat Government College, said, “The boy who rose from a tea garden to Dhaka University has been defeated. Sanju’s death reminds us that mental health is not just an individual issue—it’s a societal responsibility.”

Before his death, Sanju posted on Facebook at 12:08 AM on Sunday, asking for forgiveness. In his post, he wrote, “I’ve realized my mistakes. For days, I’ve disturbed others. Blaming others instead was wrong of me. I apologize to everyone. I’ve done wrong day after day, and blaming others to cover my faults was not right. I ask for everyone’s forgiveness. If anyone has been harmed because of me, that responsibility is entirely mine. I seek forgiveness.”

Jagannath Hall Provost Professor Dr. Debasish Pal said, “In the morning, our cleaning staff heard a loud noise and found a student lying on the ground. He was immediately taken to Dhaka Medical College, where doctors declared him dead.”