Friends mourn slain Pizza Hut driver: ‘Violence ... is not the way to live’

When he was born in Bangladesh 26 years ago, Hasan Rahman’s parents named him in such a way that he would be a light to others and do good things.

Hasan means “do good,” his friend, Mahmood Karim, said Sunday during a memorial service for Rahman, the Wichita Pizza Hut delivery driver who was found shot last weekend in the trunk of his car. Rahman had earned the nickname “Badhon,” which meant “to create bonding.”

“I think this young man has lived up to his name,” Karim said to about 30 people who gathered at the east patio of the Rhatigan Student Center at Wichita State University.

Rahman was a mechanical engineering student at WSU and was close to graduating, friends said.

As candles were lit in his memory, those in the group reflected on their memories.

“He is gone but he touched a lot of people’s lives,” Karim said. “Because of his kindness and how helpful he was, we remember him for all the things he did in the Bangladesh community and outside the community.”

Rahman and his vehicle were reported missing Nov. 25. He had delivered two orders in the 1100 block and the 1300 block of N. Williamsburg and did not return to Pizza Hut that night. When co-workers became concerned, one went out to his last delivery site and found property belonging to Pizza Hut in the yard. Officers were then called to the 7800 block of East Pagent on Nov. 26 on the report of an unfamiliar car in the neighborhood. Rahman’s body was found in the trunk of the car.

Rahman’s body is being flown back to his hometown in Bangladesh and should arrive on Tuesday.

“We want to let people know that violence and senseless killing is not the way to live. His dream was to come here and be a model citizen,” Karim said. “This is one of the Bengali young men that was a jack of all trades. He knew how to fix cars, he knew how to do plumbing and electrical work. Always he went out of his way to help people. In fact the night this tragic thing happened, a friend of his, she did not have a ride, he went five miles out of his way to get her.”

Suvessa Chakroborty said his best friend “was a dreamer. I cannot imagine my life without him a single day. We share everything. He was close to his dream. We all want justice. I think the police department will catch (his killer).”

Lt. Ronald Hunt with the Wichita Police Department attended the service and said Rahman’s death is being investigated.

“This is a young man who was out doing his job and had his life taken from him, which is absolutely senseless,” Hunt said. “There is a lot of investigation I cannot speak about because it is an ongoing investigation. You can rest assured we are doing absolutely everything.

“We will find the person or persons who did this.”

This story was originally published December 3, 2017 at 7:11 PM with the headline "Friends mourn slain Pizza Hut driver: ‘Violence ... is not the way to live’."