Rifat Hossain

Martyr Rifat Hossain was born on May 10, 2009, illuminating the lives of his father, Hanif Mia, and mother, Repa Akter. He was born and raised in Sukipur village of Daudkandi Upazila in Comilla district. They are one brother and two sisters. Rifat and his siblings lost their bus driver father shortly after his birth. They grew up in their maternal grandparents' house, witnessing the ups and downs of life very closely. At one point, their mother remarried. Mother Rifa Akter moved to her new family, where she also has a five-year-old daughter. As a result, the two orphaned siblings continued to grow up in their maternal grandparents' home. Amidst so much hardship, Rifat studied at a local madrasa. Rifat was a Hafiz of the Qur'an. However, due to financial constraints, it was also closed and he started working in Munshiganj. He used to work in a bakery there until last July. Later, he left the job and stayed at his sister Halima's house and learned pipe fitting work from his brother-in-law, Saidul.
How Rifat Became a Martyr
According to his elder sister Halima, on the morning of August 4, Rifat skipped work and was preparing to join the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. He was repeatedly asked not to go. Halima told him, "If something happens to you, how will I survive?" In response, Rifat smiled and said, "Nothing will happen to me, Insha’Allah. I will return home after freeing the country." That afternoon, the news arrived that Rifat had been shot.
On August 4, during the one-point movement of the people’s uprising, Rifat was marching on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway in Shahid Nagar, Daudkandi Upazila, Cumilla. While protesting, Awami terrorists opened fire on the crowd. Rifat was shot by Chhatra League members in Cumilla’s Shahid Nagar area and collapsed on the ground. He was immediately taken to Gauripur Health Complex, but they refused to admit him. No government ambulance came to help. Later, he was taken to Cumilla Medical College Hospital, where he was denied treatment and referred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).
After receiving initial treatment at DMCH, doctors refused to admit him, stating that his condition was stable and the hospital was overcrowded. They warned that if he stayed, the police would arrest him. With no other option, Rifat was brought back home, where he died without treatment on the night of August 4. The next morning, August 5, after his janaza (funeral prayer) at Dashpara Eidgah field, he was buried in the family graveyard.
Halima demanded exemplary punishment for those involved in Rifat’s murder. Filled with grief and anger, she said, "What was my innocent brother’s crime that they shot him dead like this? Did their hands not tremble when they fired at him? Are they even human? The country gained independence, but my brother didn’t live to see it. I demand justice for my brother. I want the real killers to be hanged."
She wishes to keep Rifat’s clothes, pillow, blanket, and mobile phone as lifelong memories. Holding his phone, she broke down in tears, saying, "Whenever I hold my brother’s phone, I can't stop crying. When we were little, our mother used to leave us at our grandparents’ house while she worked. We spent long hours together, played together. Now, those moments are just memories."
Current Condition of the Martyr’s Family
Rifat lived with his sister’s family and worked with his brother-in-law in pipe fitting to support them financially.
Reactions from Relatives and Neighbors
Neighbors and close relatives described Rifat as a kind-hearted and pious young man. He was regular in prayers and had memorized 17 parts of the Quran. Due to financial constraints, he could not continue his studies.
Martyr Rifat Hossain at a glance
Name: Rifat Hossain
Occupation: Pipe fitting worker
Date of birth and age: May 10, 2009 (15 years)
Permanent address: Sukipur, Doshpara, Daudkandi, Comilla
Father's name: Late Hanif Mia
Mother's name: Repa Akter
Date of injury: August 4, 2024, 1 PM, Comilla
Date of death: August 5, 2024, 12:35 AM; Own home
Type of injury: Bullet in the left side of the chest
Attacker: Chhatra League
Place of martyrdom: Comilla
Buried: Comilla
Details of siblings: He has no brother. One of the two sisters is married. The other sister is still young
Proposal
1. One-time assistance can be provided to the sister's family
2. One-time assistance can be provided to the mother and her younger sister