Md. Shahid Hossain

Md. Shahid Hossain was a resident of Jamalpur District. His father's name is Abdur Rahman and his mother's name is Sundari Begum. He joined the student and public movement against discrimination and was fatally shot by police on July 27 at Uttara Airport in Dhaka.
Background of the Incident
The recent quota reform movement marks the second wave of protests surrounding this issue. The original movement began in January 2018 but subsided after the matter was taken to court. After a few years of dormancy, the second wave of protests resumed in June 2024 following a court verdict. Initially, the demonstrations were peaceful, but violent attacks by members of the student wing of the ruling party (Chhatra League) escalated the situation into violent confrontations.
In an effort to suppress the movement, the government shut down all forms of internet access on July 17, effectively halting communication and all online activities. On July 18, Chhatra League members, along with police forces, launched an unprovoked attack on a peaceful anti-quota student rally, resulting in numerous injuries and fatalities among students.
In protest, a larger number of students and general citizens gathered on July 19 after Friday prayers. School and college students, many wearing their uniforms, joined with parents and guardians to take to the streets. The public expected Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to act compassionately and resolve the matter peacefully. Instead, she made derogatory remarks, referring to the protesting students as “descendants of collaborators (Razakars).”
On July 18, under directives from the authoritarian regime, police forces responded with extreme brutality—resorting to baton charges, tear gas, rubber bullets, hand grenades, aerial gunfire from helicopters, and sniper fire from tall buildings. Areas like Uttara, Mirpur, Badda-Rampura, Jatrabari, and Savar in Dhaka resembled war zones. Mass shootings occurred in Chattogram, Rajshahi, Madaripur, Feni, Sylhet, Kishoreganj, Bogura, Rangpur, and other regions.
Weapons typically reserved for wartime use were unjustifiably employed by state-backed forces against unarmed civilians. Police, BGB, and RAB took over city roads with tanks. The ruling party, Awami League, ordered all hospitals not to treat students injured by gunfire and to refrain from issuing death certificates for those killed. Hospitals, fearing repercussions, refrained from offering visible medical care, and in some cases, treatment had to be forcibly provided to injured students.
Earlier, when students requested a resolution regarding the quota system, Prime Minister Hasina arrogantly insulted them by calling them “Razakars.” In immediate response, students organized protest marches chanting slogans such as “Who are you, who am I? Razakar? Razakar? Who said it? Who said it? Tyrant! Tyrant!” This sparked widespread outrage across social media.
Zafar Iqbal, a controversial writer and a supporter of the ruling regime—also criticized as a descendant of actual collaborators—took a stand against the student movement. As a result, several publishers began issuing statements declining to publish his works.
The term “Razakar” had long been weaponized by the ruling Awami League during its 16-year tenure to falsely label and suppress patriotic groups like Jamaat-e-Islami. For resisting Hasina’s regime, many of their leaders were abducted, murdered, imprisoned, or hanged. This term was used systematically to justify brutal repression, often destroying the future of young individuals accused under this pretext.
Martyr Shahid Hossain was a courageous young man determined to serve his country. His dream was to bring joy to his grieving mother. Shahid understood that the government’s unlawful quota system enabled the appointment of unqualified, sycophantic, and party-affiliated individuals to public service jobs, thus depriving meritorious students like himself.
Though Shahid could have easily joined the Chhatra League to secure a government position or purchased a fake Freedom Fighter certificate from the former Minister of Liberation War Affairs, Mozammel Haque (notoriously known for crimes including rape and terrorism), he chose not to. Shahid was a man of conscience, guided by moral principles and his family's values, which prevented him from associating with injustice.
He was one of the valiant youths who played a crucial role in advancing the quota reform movement. The days following July 19 were marked by terror—students were being arrested from their homes, and those suspected of protesting were brutally attacked by the so-called "Tokai League" (a derogatory term for Chhatra League). Each day brought more arrests, injuries, and deaths.
July 27 is remembered as a black day for the nation, as it lost a patriotic, educated youth—Shahid Hossain—who had dreamed of building a better Bangladesh. He lost his life for standing against injustice. Around 4 PM on that day, Shahid participated in the anti-quota protest near Dhaka's Uttara Airport where he was shot by police. He succumbed to his injuries within an hour and was martyred.
Due to the ongoing repression, his body had to be buried hastily. On the following day, July 28, he was laid to rest in his family graveyard in his native village.
Economic Condition:
Apart from his homestead, Shahid Hossain’s family owns only five decimals of land. His younger brother Shihab works in Saudi Arabia with a meager salary.
Family Statements:
Shahid’s widowed mother said, “I demand justice for the murder of my son. I had many dreams for him.”
His sister added, “If my younger brother could be provided with a job in the country, it would be a great help to our family.”
At a Glance: Information Regarding the Martyr
Name: Md. Shahid Hossain
Occupation: Student
Father's Name: Abdur Rahman (deceased)
Mother's Name: Sundari Begum
Sister: Fatema (married)
Brother: Shihab (aged 19), expatriate worker
Permanent and Present Address:
Village: Modon Gopal,
Union: Rayar Chhara,
Thana: Madarganj,
District: Jamalpur
Location of Incident: Uttara Airport Area
Assailant: Police
Time of Injury: Approximately 4:00 PM, 27 July 2024
Nature of Injury: Gunshot wound
Date, Time, and Place of Death: 5:00 PM, 27 July 2024, Uttara Airport
Current Burial Location of the Martyr: Jamalpur
Recommendations:
1. Provision of monthly and one-time financial assistance to the martyr’s family
2. Arrangement of suitable employment for the martyr’s younger brother