Md. Rakibul Hossain

A radiant flower, Martyr Md. Rakibul Hossain. In the July Revolution, despite being hit with a dozen rubber bullets on the first day, he joined the student-public revolution the next day with a passion for freedom. Rakibul attained martyrdom after being suddenly shot directly in the neck from behind.
Rakibul Hossain was born on October 13, 1995, in the Harishakund area of Jhenaidah district. His father's name is Md. Abu Bakkar Siddiqui, a retired Air Force officer, and his mother's name is Mosammat Hafiza Siddiqui.
Rakibul was the younger of Abu Bakkar Siddiqui's two sons. His father wanted him to become an engineer. Rakibul was very talented from a young age. He received a scholarship in the 5th grade from BF Shaheen College, Jessore. He successfully passed the SSC in 2011 with a GPA of 5.00 from Kanchan Nagar Model High School. He passed the HSC with a GPA of 5.00 from the renowned KC College in Jhenaidah and got admitted to MIST for engineering. After successfully passing engineering, he joined work on July 1, 2024. He was last employed at Taisar Reach Management Company, a London-based institution. From there, Rakibul tried to provide financial support to his family. Rakibul had planned to take a house in Dhaka so that he could live with his parents. But the plan of the Almighty was above Rakibul's plan. Allah accepted his chosen servant as a martyr.
Description of the Incident
July 2024, a significant chapter in the context of Bangladesh. On the question of quota and merit, the ruling fascist Sheikh Hasina government prioritized the quota. Subsequently, when the meritorious were called Razakars, they became furious. On the question of their existence, for the sake of protecting their own rights, to keep merit alive, the anti-discrimination student movement was formed. The ongoing movement led by anti-discrimination students from the first week of July gradually spread all around. Along with the anti-discrimination students, farmers, labourers, hawkers, job holders, and people of all ages and professions joined the protest across the country. As their participation made the movement stronger, a storm of oppression from the autocrat descended upon the student public. Along with the police, RAB, and BGB, the ruling party's terrorist forces jointly and directly participated in the attack on the student public with continuous live bullets, tear gas, rubber bullets, etc. The revolutionary people, ignoring the fierce bloody eyes of state repression, spontaneously intensified the protest.
Shaheed Rakibul Hossain was a symbol of justice from a young age. He would not silently tolerate any injustice. The students' logical demands created a stir in Shaheed Rakibul Hasan's heart. The autocrat's steamroller attack on the students had struck Rakibul's heart. That is why he expressed solidarity with the students' movement.
From eleven o'clock on July 18, the state's goon forces and the animal-like Chhatra League goons unleashed by Sheikh Hasina carried out surprise attacks on unarmed meritorious students at several points in the capital Dhaka. Innocent students began to die on the spot from the brutal police shooting. While in the office, Rakibul Hossain could not bear to see these scenes on Facebook. With tears streaming down his eyes, he vowed to join the students' movement after finishing office. Following this, Shaheed Rakib joined the student-public movement in the evening at the Mirpur-10 intersection in the capital.
Immediately after sunset, the police started firing rubber bullets incessantly. Shaheed Rakibul, ignoring these bullets, went forward to protect the students and find them safe places. At one point, a dozen rubber bullets hit Shaheed Rakibul's lower abdomen. Rakibul collapsed to the ground. Yet he did not give up. After leaving the students in some safe places, he went to his own house.
July 19, Friday. The second day of the student-public resistance struggle. The sky seemed to have turned crimson that day. The police spread terror among the people by firing unbearable tear gas and sound grenades in the air. On this day, the police, BGB, and Chhatra League were even more dangerous and vigilant.
Even so, the freedom-seeking people and the students of the anti-discrimination student movement platform, regardless of party affiliation, took to the streets without caring about their lives. Rakibul could not stay still due to the intense pangs of conscience. His heart was restless, wondering when he would join the movement again. As Friday was an office holiday, with his body wounded by rubber bullets the previous day, he joined the movement near the Mirpur-10 metro rail station in the evening with the spirit of martyrdom. On this day too, hundreds of innocent students and people were martyred by police shooting after Friday prayers. At approximately 9:00 PM, a woman, crying and wailing, was heading towards the spot, saying that her child had been shot. Police, Awami League, Jubo League, and Chhatra League terrorists indiscriminately fired at the innocent students and people participating in the anti-discrimination movement. The situation was very bad at that time. In such a situation, Rakib stopped the woman and tried to console her. While consoling her, suddenly a bullet hit the upper part of Rakib's back and exited through the lower part of his neck. Before he could understand anything, Shaheed Rakibul's innocent body collapsed to the ground.
His friends, who were participating in the movement nearby, went to rescue him. Such a sorrowful environment and great risk. Police and BGB patrols were still going on. If found, there was a risk of crossfire or arrest. Still, taking the risk, Rakibul's friends took him to the nearby Dr. Ajmal Hospital, where the doctor immediately declared him dead. Rakib's friends called his father's mobile number and informed his brother about his death. Hearing the news, Shaheed Rakibul's mother became almost insane with grief. A deep ghostly night. There were no vehicles on the streets. The city was turbulent with the splashes of blood. After much searching, an ambulance was found. Rakibul's friends, Pias and Faisal, took the body by ambulance to his home in Jhenaidah city the next morning. But there was still a risk with the body. Who would perform the funeral? How would he be buried? Because Hasina's dirty administration was always active. After much pleading and begging, some time was obtained, and the first funeral was held at 9 am in Jhenaidah city and the second funeral at 11 am at his village home in Basudebpur, after which Shaheed Rakibul was buried in the Basudebpur graveyard.
Expressions of Neighbour’s and Friends
The locals had a very clear and good impression of Shaheed Rakibul. Rakibul's uncle, while reminiscing, said, "There are very few boys in our entire village who are as talented and have such high moral character as him. Rakibul's wedding date was fixed, and what happened in the meantime. Rakibul's mother was suffering from cancer. Hearing about her son's death, she became like a madwoman. Crying and wailing, she kept saying, 'Oh Khoka (naming affectionately), didn't you say you would eat and go to sleep? You really did sleep, my Khoka.'"
Martyrdom is a glorious asset given by the Creator. Shaheed Md. Rakibul Hossain is the heir to that great glory. May the heart-wrenching story of this July Revolution, in exchange for the blood of countless martyrs like Rakibul Hossain, leave a mark on everyone's heart, and may millions of young people like Shaheed Rakibul express their determination to build a new Bangladesh free from discrimination. Only then will the self-sacrifice of Shaheed Rakibul Hossain and others like him be worthwhile.
 
Personal Information of the Shaheed at a Glance
Name: Md. Rakibul Hossain
Date of Birth: 13/10/1995
Permanent Address: Village: Mohishaku, Union: Ward No. 7, Jhenaidah Municipality, Jhenaidah Sadar
Latest Address: House: Mohishaku, Choriar Bill, Jhenaidah Sadar, Jhenaidah
Father's Name: Md. Abubakar Siddiqui (60)
Father's Profession: Retired Air Force Officer (JCO)
Father's Monthly Income: 15,000/- (Pension)
Mother's Name: Mosammat Hafiza Khatun (48)
Mother's Profession: Housewife
Number of Family Members: 05 (Five)
Elder Brother's Name: Md. Iqbal Hossain (Profession: Senior Officer, Sonali Bank)
Place of Incident/Death: Mirpur-10, Dhaka
Attacker: Police
Time of Injury: July 19, 2024, 9:30 PM
Time of Death: July 19, 2024, 9:30 PM
Martyr's Graveyard: Bashudebpur Graveyard, Harinakunda
Suggestion
• Arrange regular allowances for the martyr's family.