Brutes gun down golden son

By Nadia Fazlulhaq

“He’s a son God made from gold,” mourned an aunt of Mohammed Fazal, who was shot outside his home at Maligawatte on September 23.

Fazal as a member of the school band.

Mohammed Jabir Mohammed Fazal (24), a final-year student following a special degree course in accounting at the Sri Jayawardhanapura University was also studying Chartered Accountancy and working part-time as a trainee accountant at KPMG Ford Rhodes.

The eldest in a family of four, Fazal had returned to his home in Sri Saddharma Mawatha, Maligawatte at noon on that day after sitting a paper of his final semester university exams.

“He was studying hard after he came home. He didn’t even go to the mosque for afternoon prayers but instead prayed at home saying he will definitely go to the mosque for late evening prayers. But death was waiting for him when he left for prayers at 6.15 p.m,” says Nona Faleela, Fazal’s aunt.

She was the first to see him in a pool of blood.

The grandmother points to the spot where Fazal had fallen.

“Fazal’s mother and I were in the kitchen when we heard some blasting sounds. First we thought it was fire crackers. Then I went to the doorstep to find Fazal fallen. I saw blood on his foot,” she said.

Faleela said she thought he might have fainted and knocked his head against something.

“Only at the Accident Ward of the National Hospital did we get to know that he had been shot twice in the foot and then in the head,” she said.

“I can’t believe I carried the dying body of my son. It’s so different from the days I held his hand on the way to school,” wept 53-year-old Maunthaliza, Fazal’s mother.

“My son promised that once he became a graduate he will take care of me and my husband till we die,” she lamented.

“We cared about him so much. All my jewellery was sold and a part of our house was given on rent to find money to pay for his higher studies,” she said.

Fazal’s brother Irshad, (23), who is following an external degree course in accounting at the same university said his brother and he had been very close since childhood.

“We shared our experiences and had many happy moments together. He was very religious, a down-to-earth character and had loads of patience,” Irshad said.

A past student of Zahira College, Colombo, Fazal had always been a bright student. He passed his A/L exams in 2001 with good results.

“Fazal had been a very good team player even though he had worked only for one year and nine months. Generally he was a quiet character and we are shocked by the news of his death.” said Yohan Perera, Senior Partner of KPMG Ford Rhodes.

“I personally know him as a brilliant student, studious and quiet. Most of all he had a great determination to pursue a good career. He joined the publications team of AFMA (Accounting Financial Management Association) at the university and did most of the writing and editing of the newspaper,” said Mangala Fonseka, Head of Accounting of the Management Faculty.

His batch mates describe him as very hardworking, travelling from his office at Colombo Fort to the university and then back home.

“He had lots of commitment not only academically but also professionally,” one of them said.

Meanwhile banners and posters mourning his death had been put up at the Sri Jayawardhanapura campus.