Shayela Nasrin claims that days after the death of her husband, expatriate Bangladeshi Sharif Rahman in Ontario, Canada, she could still imagine the familiar sound of her husband unlocking the front door after returning home from work.
She and her daughter will unfortunately have to navigate the rest of their lives without her restaurant owner and community activist husband, reports CBC Canada.
"In every corner of the house, I can feel him," said Nasrin.
Sharif (44) died on August 24 after being on life support in a hospital in London, Ontario. Three men attacked him on August 17 during an argument over an unpaid bill at Sharif’s restaurant, according to Owen Sound Police. His funeral took place on Sunday, said the report.
Police are still looking for the three male suspects in his killing, which is being treated as a homicide.
"They just destroyed a beautiful family," Nasrin said.
The family immigrated to Canada from Bangladesh around ten years ago. They arrived in Owen Sound a few years later. Rahman started The Curry House there and shared his passion for cooking with his new community, said the CBC Canada report.
"He tried to give his best at the restaurant — always. He cooked with love and passion, not only for me and my daughter," said Nasrin.
Sharif was an extraordinarily hard worker who was extensively involved in the community, constantly lending a helping hand to those in need, and liked to feed the hungry, the widow added.
On Sunday, hundreds of people lined the streets of Owen Sound to pay their respects at Sharif`s burial, demonstrating a degree of support Nasrin never expected to witness.
"I`m getting support from the whole community, not just the Muslim community," she said. "It`s amazing."
In the days following Sharif’s assault, and eventually his death, people expressed their support for his family by leaving flowers and notes on his storefront, as well as holding a silent vigil and drum circle. Since the incident, messages of love and support have filled social media networks, the report said.
"You can imagine how dedicated he was to the community. That`s why he got all this love from people," said Nasrin.
Sikander Uman, president of the Owen Sound Muslim Association, said the outpouring of solidarity has been unparalleled.
Canadian police have not provided any updates on their investigation into Sharif’s death, but they have stated that they are still looking for three suspects, two of whom are described as being in their mid-20s to mid-30s, and the other as being in his late 40s to mid-50s, the CBC Canada Report also said.
