Md. Hafiz Uddin

Shaheed Hafiz Uddin was born on May 3, 1995, in East Barandi village, Jessore Sadar. His father's name was the late Abdul Khalek, and his mother's name is Razia Khatun. Shaheed Hafiz's family consisted of four brothers and four sisters. He was the third among the brothers. The eldest brother, Moinuddin (38), lives in Malaysia. The second brother, Moiz Uddin, passed away in 2009. The youngest brother, Ibrahim (22), teaches at a local private (Qawmi) madrasa. All four sisters are married. His family moved from Faridpur to Jessore before the 1971 Liberation War and settled there permanently. They have no ancestral land in Faridpur. Although they have been living in a rented house in Jessore city for a long time, the brothers recently (especially with the help of the eldest brother) bought a piece of land in Baulia Chanpara area outside Jessore Municipality to build a house. Due to a lack of financial capacity to build a house, they are still living in a rented house.
The family is not very well-off overall. Hafiz was employed as a pickup driver with a salary of Tk. 8,000. He used this money to cover his own and his family's expenses. The relationship between Shaheed Hafiz's brothers and sisters was very good. Because of this, he lived in the same house with his mother, sisters and their families, brothers and their families, and his own wife.
The movement of '24 was the movement of the common students and people of this country. A successful revolution that took place with the unprecedented participation of people from all walks of life. Rickshaw pullers, grocers, and all professionals. Even people who struggle to put food on the table for their families participated in this movement. The goal was one: the removal of fifteen years of fascist oppression. And that is why the whole country was in turmoil with the students' single-point demand. Devout Muslims also directly participated in this fight. Shaheed Md. Hafiz Uddin, a religious young man, was directly active in the movement against the autocratic regime and discrimination.
When the autocratic Hasina resigned on August 5, the common people of this country were jubilant in victory. Taking this opportunity, some miscreants set fire to the Zabeer Hotel at Chitra intersection in Jessore, which was owned by an Awami League leader. Several students and members of the public were trapped there. Hafiz came forward to rescue the people from the smoke and fire. He subsequently became a Shaheed of the July Revolution, perishing in the flames.
Description of the Incident of Martyrdom
The common people of this country took part in the July Revolution of '24. Just as there was direct participation of the upper class, middle class, and students in the revolution, so was a large part of the self-sacrifice of the lower class. Although the struggles of the upper class or the middle class are discussed, the fearless struggles of the lower class have been obscured from the revolution.
When the whole country was in turmoil with the anti-discrimination student movement in July, Shaheed Hafiz was also on the streets with everyone. He regularly went to the movement with his nephew, Borhan Uddin, and some other friends and local brothers. When the autocratic government fell on August 5, victory processions and celebrations began in Jessore city as in the rest of the country. At such a time, the 5-star "Hotel Zabeer," located at Chitra intersection, the heart of Jessore city, was set ablaze by miscreants.
When the hotel was on fire, Shaheed Hafiz and his nephew, along with four others, went to the scene at around 3 pm. Hearing the cries of people trapped in the fire, he entered the hotel to rescue them. Although he rescued some people in several attempts, he himself got trapped at one point. As the intensity of the fire increased below, he started moving upwards and reached the 11th floor. At one point, due to a lack of oxygen caused by the smoke, Shaheed Hafiz suffocated and died. After the fire was extinguished, the rescue workers brought out the injured and the dead. At this time, Shaheed Hafiz was taken to the Sadar Hospital, and his relatives identified his body in the hospital morgue and took it home.
Expressions of Close Relatives of the Shaheed
Shaheed Hafiz's mother says, "My son was a gentle boy, he would wake everyone up in the morning, offer prayers, and recite the Quran. He prayed and recited the Quran on the day he died as well."
His nephew says, "My uncle was a prayerful person. He had a beard. He always wore a Punjabi-pajama and a cap on his head. He was always striving to practice Islam in all aspects of his life."
What We Should Do
Shaheeds are our assets. We should fulfill the goals for which the Shaheeds sacrificed their lives. Reforming a new Bangladesh free from discrimination. This will be our reward to our Shaheeds. In addition, these Shaheeds must be properly recognized, and their contributions must be upheld. Only then will their self-sacrifice be meaningful.
Shaheed's Profile at a Glance
Name : Md. Hafiz Uddin
Date of Birth : May 3, 1995
Permanent Address : Village - Baulia Chanpara, Upazila - Jessore Sadar (Municipality)
District: Jessore
Current Address : Village - East Barandi, Upazila - Jessore Sadar, District: Jessore
Father's Name : Late Abdul Khalek
Mother's Name : Razia Khatun
Wife's Name : Mahia Khatun
Number of Family Members : 8
Number of Brothers : 4 (2 deceased)
Number of Sisters : 4 (married)
Professional Identity : Pickup Driver (Zaman Auto)
Place of Incident : Zabeer Hotel, Chitra Mor, Jessore
Cause of Death : Killed in rescue work of fire victims
Time of Death : August 5, Between 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM
Proposals
Proposal 1: Monthly or one-time financial assistance can be provided.
Proposal 2: Arrangements can be made for the Shaheed's wife's employment.