Md. Roni

"I have two little children, I don't know what to do with them now" - Martyr's wife Shamima Khanam Sathi
Shaheed Md. Roni was born on August 1, 1994, in the village of Panchdas Nalkhur, Buriganj Union, Bogura District. Father: Md. Dilbar Ali (deceased) and mother: Shahnaz Begum (60), housewife. His family consists of his wife, Shahnaz Khanam Sathi (32), and two children, Yasin (4) and Ivan (2). He used to drive a rickshaw in the Savar region of the capital to earn a living.
How He Became a Martyr
When Abu Saeed, a meritorious student of the English Department of Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur, was shot and killed by police in broad daylight, the overall situation in the country became explosive. The anti-discrimination student movement intensified. The autocratic Hasina government ordered the police to suppress the peaceful movement of the students. Curfew was also imposed repeatedly. For the low-income people, this curfew brought unbearable suffering to their lives. Unbearable suffering also descended on the home of day laborer Shaheed Md. Roni. There was no rice or lentils in the house, and the youngest child was also sick. Martyr Roni was, in a way, forced to go out with his rickshaw. But before he could go far, the army stopped him. When he explained the overall condition of the house to the army officer, he gave him one thousand Taka. After buying rice and lentils for the house, he again went out with his rickshaw to get medicine for his son. It was four o'clock in the afternoon of July 20. Police were firing at the protesting students in front of the garments in Savar. At that time, a bullet hit Roni's chest. He fell from the rickshaw onto the road and was being martyred there.
Reaction of friends and relatives after the Martyr's death
After the Martyrdom, his wife said, "That day, he asked me for rice in the morning. We both ate rice together. There was no rice to cook in the afternoon, and the youngest child was sick. I said to him, 'Yasin's father, the little one is sick, what shall we do now?' Then he said, 'Let me see if I can earn some fare, then I will bring medicine.' But I forbade him to go out. Since there was no rice in the house and the child needed medicine, he went out with the rickshaw. That was the last time my husband went, and he never came back. In the afternoon, we received news that he was lying on the road. I thought he had been hit by tear gas, but then I heard that he had been shot, so I thought it was in the leg. Later, when I went to the hospital, I found him dead. The people at the hospital misbehaved with us a lot. They pushed my husband's body and me away. I have two little children, I don't know what to do with them now. He was a very good man. Besides our responsibilities, he would inquire about his mother, take care of his sisters. I am now destitute after losing him."
Special Information about the Martyr's Family
Rickshaw puller Martyr Roni was the sole breadwinner of the family. He has two sons, four and two years old. His wife, a housewife, used to work in a garment factory, but now that the children are small, she can no longer work to take care of them. Currently, his wife is staying with her elder sister at their house. His mother lives in a hut on government land in the area. Martyr Roni used to send his mother four thousand Taka every month. The economic condition of both the Martyr's own family and his mother's family is very dire.
Personal Information of the Martyr at a Glance
Name : Md. Roni
Father's Name : Md. Dilbar Ali (Deceased)
Mother's Name : Shahnaz Begum (60)
Date of Birth : August 1, 1994
Permanent Address : Village: Panchdas Nalkhur, Union: Buriganj, Thana: Shibganj, District: Bogura
Present Address : Rajashan, Savar Pourashava, Dhaka
Place of Injury : Between GK Garments and Shukur Ali Meat Shop
Time of Injury : July 20, 2024, 4:00 PM
Time and Place of Martyrdom : July 20, 2024, 4 PM, Between GK Garments and Shukur Ali Meat Shop
Cause of Martyrdom : Police Gunfire
Location of Martyr’s Grave: Buried at the bank of Nalkhur Dighi
Recommendations
1. To arrange regular monthly grants for the Martyr's family as soon as possible.
2. To arrange scholarships for the Martyr's two children.
3. To arrange for housing for the Martyr's mother and children. Provide a specific monthly grant for his mother.