Nayon Mia

Nayon Mia was the son of Lokman Hossain from the village of South Gabda, under Aditmari Police Station in Lalmonirhat District. He resided in a rented house in the Kathalbagan area and worked at a motorcycle garage in the same locality. He is survived by a 2.5-year-old daughter. Following his death, his wife Rifa Akter is left in a severely distressed condition, struggling to provide for their daughter Nusrat.
Background of Martyrdom
The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement is an organization representing general students of Bangladesh. The 2024 Quota Reform Movement emerged to demand changes in the existing quota-based recruitment system in all categories of government jobs in Bangladesh. This movement began on June 5, 2024, after the High Court Division of the Bangladesh Supreme Court declared the government circular issued on October 4, 2018, as illegal. That circular had previously annulled all existing quotas in recruitment for erstwhile Class I and Class II government jobs.
With the reintroduction of the quota system, a new wave of protests began in early July 2024, led by meritorious students at Dhaka University. The protesting students were subjected to severe repression and violent attacks from the Bangladesh Chhatra League. Police attempted to disperse the demonstrators using rubber bullets, pellets, sound grenades, tear gas, and batons. The government responded by indefinitely closing almost all educational institutions, postponing the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations, cutting off internet access nationwide, and imposing curfews with military deployment under the direction of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Throughout July, a wave of arrests, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, mass violence, and torture by ruling party members and state forces provoked immense anger in Nayon Mia. On August 4, he courageously joined the anti-discrimination student and public movement in Lalmonirhat District. Leaving his home in Kathalbagan, he joined the protest rally in the afternoon with his friends. After enduring relentless oppression throughout July, protesters began to actively resist that day, forcing government-backed forces to retreat.
While marching in the Kathalbagan area of the capital, a bullet struck Nayon Mia in the head as soon as he approached the police. His friends fled in panic under a hail of indiscriminate police gunfire, but Nayon lay motionless on the road. Some passersby later rushed him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). Upon realizing he was a protester, the hospital staff and doctors initially refused to provide medical treatment. After a long delay, a doctor eventually performed surgery at 3 AM, removing the bullet from his head and extracting a portion of his skull. The doctor hoped to restore the skull section if Nayon showed signs of recovery. Unfortunately, that hope never materialized.
After enduring excruciating pain for 47 days, Nayon Mia passed away on Friday, September 20, 2024, at 7:00 AM. His light was extinguished forever. He was buried in his native village, South Gabda, after the funeral prayer at 10:00 AM on Sunday.
Financial Condition
He worked at a motorcycle garage in Dhaka. His parents, two brothers, and two sisters had converted to Christianity. Since Nayon chose not to convert, he was disowned by his family and thus inherited no ancestral property. Until the incident, he lived at his in-laws’ residence. His wife and daughter are now in a dire financial condition.
News Link
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr3GYG8p9wM&ab_channel=KalbelaNews
2. https://www.bssnews.net/bangla/national/153261
3. https://www.dhakapost.com/national/308568

At a Glance: Information on the Martyr
Name: Md. Nayon Mia
Date of Birth: 01 January 1998
Occupation: Laborer
Father's Name: Md. Lokman Hossain
Mother's Name: Mst. Hamida Bhanu
Wife: Mst. Rifa Akter (Age: 20), Education: Completed Grade 5
Child: One daughter – Mst. Nusrat Jahan Nuri (Date of Birth: 28 November 2021)
Siblings: Two brothers and two sisters
Permanent Address: Village – Durgapur, Police Station – Aditmari, District – Lalmonirhat
Current Address: Village – South Gobdha, Post Office – Durgapur, Police Station – Aditmari, District – Lalmonirhat
Place of Incident: Kathalbagan Mor, Banglamotor, Dhaka
Perpetrators: Members of Chhatra League and the Police
Time of Injury: 04 August 2024, at 2:30 PM
Nature of Injury: Gunshot wound to the head
Date, Time, and Place of Death: While undergoing treatment – 20 September 2024, at 07:00 AM,
Location: Dhaka Medical College Hospital
Recommendations:
1. Ensure the rehabilitation and employment of Nayon Mia’s widow.
2. Include daughter Nusrat Jahan Nuri under the coverage of an orphan support program.