Hridoy Mia

One Bullet, a Destitute Family, and an Unfulfilled Dream
Birth and Identity
A small stature, a school bag on his shoulder, and sometimes a hanging bar in his hand on the pickup van — such was the life of Rridoy Hosen. But after the afternoon of July 20, 2024, Rridoy ’s identity became more than just that; he became a name, a symbol of protest, a martyr.
Hriday was born on January 5, 2009, in Gondkhola village under Sakhuya Union, Trishal Upazila, Mymensingh district. His father, Sultan Mia, is currently unemployed and physically weak, aged 52. His mother, Sajeda, is a homemaker, aged 50. The family’s burden is carried by Hriday’s elder brother, Md. Golap Islam, who himself is unemployed. Hriday was a seventh-grade student at Gacha High School, but alongside his studies, he worked as a helper on a pickup van to help feed his family. They had no home of their own and lived at his paternal uncle’s house, struggling to survive with some support from his uncle.
Despite the hard days filled with rice, salt, and sweat, Rridoy always had a smiling face. His dream was to finish school, buy an auto-rickshaw for his brother, and relieve his parents from suffering.
Work and Economic Reality
From the beginning, Rridoy ’s life was a struggle. After school and on holidays, he worked as a helper on a pickup truck in the streets of Gazipur — sometimes carrying goods, sometimes calling passengers. These small tasks were the fuel for his big hopes. Whether rice was cooked at home depended on his daily earnings. They all squeezed into a small tin house belonging to his uncle’s family. Yet there were no complaints from his lips. His mother said,
“My son was very quiet, yet he understood and managed all family matters. He didn’t buy new clothes for Eid, he saved money for his brother.”
Participation in the Movement & Context: July-August 2024
July 2024 was a month of student and public uprising across Bangladesh. Police repression and denial of voting rights provoked youth protests in many places including Gazipur, Narayanganj, Mymensingh, and Kishoreganj. Rridoy was at the forefront of this movement. Discussing with friends, he often said,
“We can’t live like this anymore, brother, we have to do something.”
On July 20, 2024, Saturday, he left home at 10 AM. His mother kept asking, “Will you come home by noon?” Hriday smiled and replied, “I will, mother. Let me first see what happens.” That “seeing what happens” was his final journey.
The Day He Became a Martyr: July 20, 2024
At 5:30 PM, police suddenly opened fire on students at the head of Gacha Road, Gazipur. Smoke and screams filled the air. Among the crowd lay a bloodied body —Rridoy Hosen. Within five minutes, he was lifeless. The time was 5:35 PM.
Locals say,
“He could have survived, but the police did not let anyone come near.”
Rridoy ’s lifeless body was carried on shoulders to the graveyard at Nure Aksa Central Jame Mosque. Beneath that soil now rests the boy who once climbed a pickup to ease hunger and was martyred for his passionate protest.
Family’s Proposal
His mother, wiping tears, said,
“Rridoy is gone, but our family remains. My brother cannot support us. If someone could buy an auto-rickshaw for him, that’s all I ask.”
If an auto-rickshaw is provided, Hriday’s brother could run the family, and his parents might find some peace in their remaining days. This support would be a rightful homage to Hriday’s sacrifice.
Rridoy ’s story not only makes us cry but also stirs our conscience. How cruel must a state be when a seventh-grade student becomes a pickup helper out of hunger and is shot dead for demanding his dreams?
May this story not be lost on paper but remain forever in our hearts. A life has been extinguished, but its dreams continue to light our path.
At a Glance — Martyr Details

Full Name Rridoy Hosen
Date of Birth 05 January 2009
Place of Birth Trishal, Mymensingh
Class Seventh Grade
School Gacha High School
Occupation Student and Pickup Helper
Father’s Name Sultan Mia (Unemployed, 52 years old)
Mother’s Name Sajeda (Homemaker, 50 years old)
Permanent & Current Address Village: Gondkhola, Union: Sakhuya, Thana: Trishal, District: Mymensingh
Family Members Brother: Md. Golap Islam (26 years old, unemployed)
Date Injured 20 July 2024, 5:30 PM
Place Head of Gacha Road, Borbari, Gazipur
Date of Martyrdom 20 July 2024, 5:35 PM
Attackers Police Force
Burial Place Nure Aksa Central Jame Mosque Graveyard, Gacha Road, Borbari, Gazipur
Economic Condition Below poverty line; no land or house of own