Md. Jahangir

Shaheed Md. Jahangir was born on October 23, 1969, in Bauria village, Amkhola Union, under Galachipa Upazila in Patuakhali district. His father was the late Ratan Khan, and his mother was the late Jarina Khatun.
Mr. Jahangir was a CNG driver by profession. Although his permanent address was in Patuakhali, he lived in a rented house in the capital, Dhaka, with his family. He joined the July Revolution, also known as the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, and sacrificed his life, attaining martyrdom.
Why a CNG driver was martyred
It is said that the rickshaw pullers and CNG drivers of this country are direct and indirect witnesses to the joys and sorrows of the common people. They are also witnesses to many events and accidents on the streets. Shaheed Md. Jahangir is a worthy example of this saying.
When the country is heading towards the abyss of the bottomless; when the state is being disgustingly run by inefficient, dishonest, corrupt, looters; when the market is tormented by the oppression of rising prices; when the nation is attacked by the associates of the autocrats; the people of this wounded country are then, in their respective places, openly and secretly, tragically sad, pained and deeply immersed in despair.
And from this despair, carrying the light of hope; and the call for freedom from subjugation; carrying the message of rights from discrimination, some general students of the university came forward and first peacefully raised their demands to the government. Their demand is that they should be evaluated on the basis of merit. That in all government and state work, consideration should be given to the yardstick of merit and ability. This righteous word of the students; this just demand was also humiliated by the theatrical Awami government. In 2018 also, the general students took to the streets with this demand. Even then, this government of thieves and robbers had stopped the students. They returned from the streets with a sea of pain in their hearts. Is that really so? No. It was basically a retreat to come back with ultimate momentum.
That is why the quota-opposing student movement of 2018 changed its name and returned in 2024 as the anti-discrimination student movement. This time too, they present their demands in the normal process. Yet the various taunts, stubbornness and shameless humor of the autocratic government are forcing this normal demand to take the form of a revolutionary movement. The general students of all the universities of the country collectively try in various ways to achieve their demands through systematic movements, peaceful rallies, statements in the media, writings in social media and discussions with the government.
But the killer government did not care about such efforts of the students. They despised them. They did baton charge on the students' disciplined human chain! They fired tear gas, rubber bullets at the peaceful rally! They shot at the mourning procession! They started anarchy in the name of raids by going to colleges, university halls-hostels, houses! Taking them away in the middle of the night, sleep, murder, killing! Attacks, lawsuits, mass arrests on the streets! Students were handcuffed! Rope on the waist! Put handcuffs on your feet! Along with the police, RAB, BGB, Ansar forces, the shameless Chhatra League, Jubo League and Awami League goons were brought to the streets with open declaration.
This country is my father's country. This is our regained zamindari. You are all grandchildren of Razakars. Such was the attitude of the killer government. Which is why the anti-quota or anti-discrimination movement becomes a movement of general students of all levels of the country. School, college and madrasa students come down to the streets declaring unity with the university students. Their straight declaration was they will not return home without realizing their demands. They started exam boycott, class boycott and non-cooperation with the illegal government.
The government, which believes in dictatorship and is the killer of democracy, seeing such a mass awakening of general students across the country, only for the sake of showing their arrogance, stubbornness and power, ran the steamroller of oppression on the agitating students. In whatever way they could, they started killing students. The goons of Chhatra League, began to brutally kill the students of the anti-discrimination movement by beating, hacking, injuring, and shooting.
When the car called Bangladesh failed its brakes in such a way and the passengers called Bangladeshis became terrified; when there was pain, suffering, screams, wailing and clear signs of certain destruction all around, could a skilled CNG driver like Shaheed Jahangir sit idly by? Could his heart not be touched? No, despite being a CNG driver by profession, a socially conscious Jahangir could no longer sit idle by observing such barbarity of the state machinery. Because everything was happening in front of him. He heard the terrible cries of people every day with his own ears; the wailing of pained hearts. He sees with his own eyes how the ruling groups calling themselves exploiters are indiscriminately killing people. When he was rushing to hospitals with injured and dead students, like his own children, in his own CNG. How can he remain inactive after this? He too is a human being of flesh and blood.
Various questions arose in his mind as well. He wondered, is this country mine? What is the future of me and my family here? Where is the safety of my children? Are we really alive? Or are we living corpses? Are we also living like the family members of the injured and martyred students? Hundreds of thousands of such questions arose in Mr. Jahangir's heart. He could not find any answers. And when he found it, he discovered himself next to the students of the anti-discrimination student movement.
Indeed! Why does his heart ache for these students; why does he rush around with injured and dead students at low fares or free of charge; why does he feel so much pain at the wailing of the families of the martyred students?
Slowly he realized that he had been unknowingly supporting the students' movement for so long. He bowed his head in gratitude to the Almighty Allah. He decided that from now on he would openly and fully join the anti-discrimination student movement. No sooner had he thought than he acted. Shaheed Jahangir also exchanged views with some of his loved ones. He also got the support of some. From what he earned by driving CNG every day, he spent a part of it for the movement. In this way, he completely involved himself with the movement.
How he was martyred
Shaheed Md. Jahangir continued to support the students in the student movement and provide them with all kinds of assistance. On Saturday, July 20, 2024, at 12:15 pm, he was distributing bread, biscuits and water free of charge among the peacefully protesting students on Chontek School Road in Kazla, Jatrabari, Dhaka. At such a time, the killer police opened fire targeting the protesting students, and Mr. Jahangir, who was among the students, was shot. He immediately fell to the ground. Some brave students took the risk in the heated situation and took him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for admission. The seriously injured Jaha, while undergoing treatment, accepted the invitation of the Great Lord with the desire to be a guest of Paradise at 6:30 pm and drank the nectar cup of martyrdom. The countrymen lost a simple, virtuous, brave hero.
The next day, Sunday, July 21, 2024, Shaheed Mohammad Jahangir was buried after the funeral in Bauria village of Amkhala Union under Galachipa Upazila of Patuakhali district.
Comments of acquaintances
Talking to the neighbors of Shaheed Jahangir, it is known that he was a calm person. He was not involved in any wrongdoing. He used to offer prayers regularly. Even ignoring his own sufferings, he stood by people in danger. In the anti-discrimination student movement, he sacrificed his life to maintain that continuity. Neighbors believe that it is necessary to continue regular assistance urgently for the destitute family of this great martyr who came forward in the danger of the country.
In this regard, Shaheed Jahangir's uncle-in-law, Mohammad Abdul Alim, said, "My niece's husband was a very good, virtuous and benevolent man." Expressing his grief with a heavy heart at his tragic death, he demanded exemplary punishment for the culprits and requested the government and donor organizations to come forward to help the helpless family.
Family condition
Although Shaheed Md. Jahangir's birthplace and permanent address was Patuakhali, he lived with his family in Dhaka. Although Shaheed Jahangir, who lost his parents, had 3 decimals of land in the village, there is no house there. The martyr's family still lives in a rented house at Chantek Abasik on Kazla Main Road, Ward No. 62 of Jatrabari Police Station in Dhaka. Shaheed Jahangir was the father of 5 children in his family life. His eldest son, Md. Rabiul Islam (17), is an employee in a cloth shop in Bang Market.
The eldest daughter, Ria Akhtar (16), is a tenth-grade student at Lyceum Ideal High School. The other three children, Nabiul Islam (06), Samiul Islam (04) and Minha Akhtar (02), respectively, are still innocent children. Shaheed Jahangir was the sole guardian of the seven-member family, including his wife. The destitute martyr's family is now barely making ends meet with the meager salary of the eldest son, Rabiul Islam. As the other children are minors, it is not possible for them to participate financially in running the family. They are passing every day in extreme hardship. In the meantime, many essential things, including the education of the martyred children, have stopped.
In this situation, if at least 30 thousand Taka could be provided per month to run this family; or if funds could be provided for the eldest son to do business; or if the expenses of educating the four children could be managed, then perhaps the family left behind by the martyr of the twenty-four revolutions, the benevolent man, could have been saved from living a helpless and inhumane life.
Brief information about Shaheed Md. Jahangir
Name : Md. Jahangir
Birth : October 23, 1969
Place of Birth : Patuakhali
Father's Name : Ratan Kha (Deceased)
Mother's Name : Jarina Khatun (Deceased)
Permanent Address : Village- Bauria, Union- Amkhala, Thana- Galachipa, District- Patuakhali
Current Address : Chontek Abasik, Main Road, Kazla, Ward No. 62, Jatrabari, Dhaka
Professional Identity : CNG Driver
Monthly Income was : 30 thousand Taka
Current Family Members : 06
Place of Incident : Ward No. 62, Chontek School Road, Kazla, Jatrabari, Dhaka
Assailant : Killer Police Force
Time of Injury : July 20, 2024, 12.05 PM
Date, Time and Place of Death : July 20, 2024, 6.30 PM, Dhaka Medical College
Current Location of the Grave : Bauria, Amkhala, Galachipa, Patuakhali