A child lost, a village shattered: locals mourn Tamanna’s death
The Statesman | 25 June 2025
What should have been a celebration turned into a tragedy that shook an entire village. Nine-year-old Tamanna Sheikh, innocent and full of dreams, was killed in a bomb blast allegedly during a political victory procession — a death that now haunts the narrow lanes of Kaliganj.
On Tuesday, Tamanna’s body was brought back home from Shaktinagar District Hospital after a post-mortem. Hundreds of grief-stricken villagers lined the road as her small coffin passed by. Political leaders from across party lines, including Congress district president Subhankar Sarkar and BJP’s Arjun Biswas, stood in silence beside her parents — Hossain Sheikh and Sabina Yasmin.
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“She was our world,” Sabina wept, clutching her daughter’s bloodstained clothes. “They were celebrating a win — but how does celebration mean bombs?”
The explosion occurred just after by-election results were declared. Witnesses allege supporters of the ruling Trinamul Congress hurled bombs near homes believed to belong to opposition voters. One such bomb landed close to Tamanna, killing her on the spot.
“She didn’t even understand what politics meant,” said a neighbour, pointing to a dried bloodstain on the ground. “She was just watching from a distance.”
Congress leader Subhankar Sarkar called it a failure of the police and intelligence. “Everywhere else in the country, elections happened peacefully. Only in Bengal, we see bloodshed. The police were present at the rally — and still bombs were there. A child died. Who takes responsibility for that?”
The West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights has demanded a full report. But for Tamanna’s parents, no probe can bring back their daughter.
Her father, Hossain, barely able to speak, said through tears, “She used to run to the shop every morning, smiling. Now our home is empty.”
At her school, her classmates left her desk untouched, placing flowers and a handwritten note: “We miss you, Tammie.” Her teacher, Mrs. Basu, recalled, “She was always curious, always the first to answer. She had so many dreams.”
Those dreams now lie buried with her, in a quiet village that may never be the same.