Md. Jamal Mia

Shaheed Jamal Mia was born on February 3, 2006, in an extremely poor family in Deul Dengra village, Nandaile Upazila, Mymensingh district. He was the third of five children born to Md. Shaheedul Islam and Mosammat Mina Akter. He had two older brothers and two younger sisters. His parents dreamed of making him a Hafiz-e-Quran (someone who memorizes the entire Quran). With this goal in mind, he was educated in a madrasa from a young age, and Shaheed Jamal even became a Hafiz of seven paras (sections) of the Quran. However, due to the family's dire financial situation, he could not continue his studies. To provide financial support to his family, he was working at Tania Dyeing Company in Narsingdi.
Family Information:
Like many other poor families in Bangladesh, Shaheed Jamal's family was also plagued by economic problems. Shaheed's poor father struggled to meet the daily needs of his three sons and two daughters. Naturally, he could not afford to educate his children. Shaheed's elder brother, Md. Raihan Mia, is a cow farm worker, and Shaheed's immediate elder brother, Mohammad Arman, is also a laborer. Although Shaheed Jamal's parents dreamed of him becoming an Alem (Islamic scholar), this was not possible due to poverty.
Regarding the martyr, his uncle commented, "Jamal was a very good boy. He inquired about everyone at home. He always kept in touch with his parents and siblings. The villagers loved him very much."
The Incident of Martyrdom:
When the anti-discrimination student-people's movement heated up in July 2024, Jamal Mia expressed solidarity with the movement on behalf of the workers. The presence of workers like him in this struggle for justice and humanity brought new strength. The afternoon of July 21 was an accursed time when Shaheed Jamal Mia was walking on the streets of Narsingdi towards his workplace. The time was 12 noon. Suddenly, the sound of gunfire was heard, and with it, the rhythm of his life came to a halt.
He fell on the street, shot. The bullet entered through the right side of his abdomen and exited through the left. Jamal Mia's lifeless body lay on the street for almost 2-3 hours. No one came forward, no one stood by his side. Through blood loss, his life slowly faded away. In the busy streets of the city, his life became an ignored story, its suffering witnessed only by that bloody path and the silence of nature.
After about 2 to 3 hours, a relative of his arrived at the scene and quickly took him to the Narsingdi Sadar Hospital. Upon reaching the hospital, his physical condition deteriorated further. Seeing his condition, the doctors realized that his life was in danger. Due to his extremely critical condition, he was advised to be transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Lying on the bed at Dhaka Medical, Jamal Mia could still speak a little. He did not know that these words would be the last words of his life. Every word of his was heartbreaking, yet his morale remained unbroken in the face of injustice. At one point, that stream of words stopped. His condition gradually worsened.
Finally, his fight for life also stopped. Amidst pain and suffering, he succumbed to death on July 25 at 8:50 am. His death was not just the death of a man; it was the self-sacrifice of a hero, an immortal signature of a worker's struggling consciousness.
Shaheed Jamal Mia is no more, but his story will live on forever. His bloodied body, his struggle, his sacrifice—all of these will burn as a torch of the anti-discrimination movement. This torch will inspire the new generation fighting for justice.
Recommendations:
1. Arrange regular allowance for the martyr's family.
2. Arrange treatment of the martyr's elderly father.
3. Arrange employment for the martyr's two elder brothers.
4. Take responsibility for the education of their younger sister.
Personal Information of the Shaheed at a Glance
Name: Md. Jamal Mia
Father: Md. Shaheedul Islam
Age: 60 years
Profession: Laborer
Mother: Mosammat Minar Akter
Age: 45 years
Siblings: Three brothers, two sisters; the martyr was the third among the siblings.
Place of Injury: Narsingdi
Type of Injury: Killer police bullet entered through the right side of the abdomen and exited through the left.
Injured by: Police and BGB
Date of Injury: July 21, 12 noon
Date of Martyrdom: July 25, 8:50 am