The death of 13-year-old Ishayat Shahriar Oprotim has prompted an outpouring of grief and anger from Bangladesh’s entertainment industry, with actors, musicians and filmmakers taking to social media to mourn the seventh-grade student and call for justice.

Oprotim, the only son of Cumilla University Bangla Department associate professor Dr Nahida Begum, went missing on September 18 after leaving home with his mother’s iPhone to take photographs. His body was recovered from a wooded area near the university the following day. He was buried in Gandhamati on September 20 after two funeral prayers attended by teachers, students, relatives and local residents.

Actor Siam Ahmed said he found it difficult to look at Apratim’s photograph, adding that becoming a father had changed how he responded to news involving children.

“A child went out in the afternoon to take photographs, but never returned home,” Siam wrote. He called for the circumstances surrounding Apratim’s death to be properly investigated, saying the truth should not be suppressed and justice should be ensured with the utmost integrity. 

Actress Puja Cherry also expressed shock at the death, describing Oprotim as a mother’s only child and a family’s dream. She offered condolences to his family and called for a proper investigation so that those responsible could be brought under the law. 

Actor Irfan Sajjad’s reaction combined grief with anger over safety and accountability. In his Facebook post, he questioned whether Bangladesh could be considered safe when justice was not secured even when there was evidence. He also called for a safer environment for children. 

Actor Rawnak Hasan wrote that he could not accept what had happened, describing himself as repeatedly shaken by the news. Director and actor Suman Anwar offered a brief response, writing simply: Oprotim Bangladesh.

Singer Konal expressed anger over violence against children, asking whether children could be allowed to live safely in the country. She also called for effective measures to prevent child abuse and exemplary punishment for those responsible. 

Filmmaker Mizanur Rahman Arian responded with a stark message about the fears surrounding children's safety, writing, “Make your children expatriates instead of doctors or engineers. Let them stay far away, but alive.” 

Filmmaker Ashfaque Nipun also called for swift trials and tougher punishment for those who abuse or kill children. He urged the authorities to take effective action rather than citing legal complications or loopholes as an excuse. 

Actress Shahnaz Khushi shared a particularly emotional reaction, quoting the anguish of Oprotim's mother, who asked how she would continue living after losing her son. Khushi wrote that the mother’s cry would remain a source of sleepless nights for many parents. 

Actor Ziaul Faruq Apurba also addressed Oprotim's death in a social media post. Calling the violence against children a sign of a deepening social and moral crisis, he urged people to be more vigilant about children's safety and called for exemplary punishment for those responsible for Oprotim's death.

“Every child deserves a safe childhood,” Apurba wrote, while calling for justice and a safer country for children. 

Actor Rashed Seemanto’s post focused on the fact that Oprotim would no longer be able to speak for himself. He wrote that police, lawyers, the media, civil society and others would all speak about the case, but “only 13-year-old Oprotim will not speak”. He linked that silence to the need for accountability and justice. 

Across the posts, the reactions went beyond expressions of personal grief. Many of the entertainment industry's responses called for the circumstances surrounding Oprotim's death to be properly investigated and for those responsible to face justice, while others questioned the broader safety of children in Bangladesh.