Md. Maya Islam

Life and Background
Maya Islam was a brave, tireless, and compassionate embodiment of a mother, grandmother, and devoted homemaker. Every moment of her life was built on the foundation of family love, responsibility, and selfless service. Her childhood, adolescence, and youth were rooted in a village of Mirzapur Upazila, Tangail district. The scent of the soil, the village noons, and the rice fields beside which young Maya dreamt still remain alive in the memories of her loved ones.
For many years, Maya had lived in a rented house on the sixth floor of a seven-story building at Meradia Hat, Rampura, Dhaka, staying with her son. Her husband, Mahbub Islam, was her lifelong companion. Though their life was simple, it was full of love and mutual care. Mahbub Islam ran an electronics shop at Malibagh Bazar, while Maya devoted her entire leisure to caring for her grandson Basit Khan Musa.
Her son Mustafizur Rahman was busy with business. Maya took upon herself nearly all domestic responsibilities. From feeding, bathing, and putting Musa to sleep to taking him to school and supervising homework, her maternal affection was evident in every detail. Often, when parents said “no,” Musa’s requests would be fulfilled by grandmother Maya. Their relationship was not merely by blood but deeply rooted in heart, as if one soul casting its shadow.
Maya Islam’s final act of love was fulfilling her little grandson’s innocent wish: “Dadi, I want to eat ice cream.” It was while fulfilling this simple desire that she became a martyr. In the terrifying moment of gunfire when no one dared to go downstairs, she took refuge in courage and came down with the child. That very courage marked the last scene of her life.
She was a woman who redefined love by sacrificing her life. Her martyrdom makes her not only a grandmother but a symbol of every loving Bengali woman who loves unconditionally, fights fearlessly, and sacrifices selflessly. Maya Islam is a name of love, silent protest, and a tribute to a life artist — a guardian until her last breath, a refuge to her grandson, and a milestone of an unfinished story.
Context of the Movement and Martyrdom
In the heated July days of Dhaka, the sun-scorched streets bore witness to Maya Islam’s gentle smile. Her beloved grandson, seven-year-old Basit Khan Musa, repeatedly said, “Dadi, I want to eat ice cream!” Unable to refuse this innocent wish, Maya planned to fulfill it. At that time, the country was gripped by the student-people’s movement demanding quota reform. Though she stood by the gate of the six-floor rented flat at Meradia Hat, Rampura, planning to stay inside, she was accompanied by little Musa. Who could have guessed that death was silently lurking, waiting behind the gate? Who could have known that fulfilling a child’s simple wish for a cool treat would make this grandmother a martyr in the history of the country?
One Bullet, Two Lives
On 19 July 2024, afternoon turning to evening, the sky over Meradia Hat, Rampura was heavy with an invisible dread. Gunfire shattered the tense atmosphere as clashes broke out between protesting students and police. No one imagined that fulfilling a small child’s ice cream wish by coming downstairs would turn into the bloodiest moment of their lives.
At exactly 3 PM, Maya Islam came down from the sixth floor with her grandson Basit. The main gate was closed, so they stayed inside the gate. Though the situation was tense, it was relatively calm. Musa’s face shone with joy as his grandmother was buying ice cream for him. Suddenly, a bullet flew through the air, tearing the peaceful afternoon apart. It pierced the child’s head and then entered Maya Islam’s abdomen from behind. Two generations, two lives, were struck down by the same bullet, falling to the ground together.
Chaos, screams, and terror filled the surroundings. Little Musa’s body lay lifeless in a pool of blood, and Maya Islam — who had guarded him her entire life — lay just behind him, the last trace of a protective soul.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment. Over the motionless grandmother and grandson, a shadow of thousands of families’ dreadful futures seemed to pass. The cries echoed through a building, a neighborhood, and a family. Blood soaked not just two bodies but drowned all innocent motherhood dreams, familial love, and the pure smile of childhood. It was not just a bullet — it was the sound of a life being torn apart, a family being crushed, and proof of deep state brutality. The echoes of that gunshot still haunt the lonely nights of Mahbub Islam, Musa’s father’s silent tears, and the eyes of the little child writhing in pain in a hospital bed in Singapore.
Musa’s Battle Between Life and Death
Immediately after the shooting, Musa’s father rushed him to the hospital. Musa was first admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. After two days in the ward, his condition worsened and he was moved to ICU and placed on life support. Musa’s treatment continued at CMH and he was later sent to Singapore for advanced care. With the support of anti-discrimination student movement activists, the government sent Musa abroad on 22 October.
Now Musa is somewhat stable, but no one knows if he will regain a normal life in the future. Mahbub Islam says, “My grandson is surviving miraculously. He is the youngest fighter of this mass uprising.”
Grief and Demand for Justice
Mahbub Islam is plunged into a deep darkness of loneliness after losing his wife. He shared a lifelong partnership with Maya Islam, but today he is helpless, silent, and empty. Witnessing a brutal murder before his eyes has frozen him in place. Maya was not only his life partner but the mother to their son’s child, Musa. Losing her in an instant has left him directionless. There are no familiar shadows around him now.
Mustafizur Rahman, Maya’s son, walks hospital corridors for his son’s life while carrying the pain of losing his beloved mother inside. He saw his mother for the last time in an ambulance but could not attend her funeral or burial — a lifelong wound etched in his heart. He is no longer just a father; he is a guardian and silent warrior, rebuilding his son physically and mentally.
Despite the family’s despair, they have not stopped fighting. On 1 November 2024, Mustafizur filed a murder case at Khilgaon Police Station regarding Maya Islam’s killing. The case named 87 accused including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, former Minister Obaidul Quader, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, and several other high officials of the government and administration.
Mahbub Islam says, “I want justice. My wife is a martyr, and my grandson is fighting for life. Our family is broken. This trial is no longer just a case, it has become a symbol of thousands of innocent people demanding accountability from the state and protection for every Maya in every home, for every little Musa.”
Proposals
1. Official state recognition and honor for martyr Maya Islam.
2. Cash compensation and assistance for the family.
3. Full government funding for Musa’s treatment abroad.
4. Provision of permanent government housing in Dhaka for the family and a government job for one family member.
5. Full educational scholarships and psychological rehabilitation support for Musa.
6. State-provided legal assistance and support for the ongoing court battle.
These supports are not just responsibilities toward one martyr’s family, but a moral and humanitarian duty of the state.
At a Glance: Martyr Maya Islam
Detail Information
Full Name Maya Islam
Place of Birth Mirzapur, Tangail
Age at Death 52 years
Residence Meradia Hat, Rampura, Dhaka (son’s home)
Husband Mahbub Islam (businessman, electronics shop owner in Malibagh Bazar)
Children 1 son (Mustafizur Rahman), 1 daughter
Grandson Basit Khan Musa (English version nursery student, Shahid Babul Academy)
Date of Martyrdom 19 July 2024
Place of Martyrdom Meradia Hat, Rampura, Dhaka
Cause of Death Killed by police gunfire
Treatment Centers 1. Bonosree Hospital
2. Dhaka Medical College Hospital (death)
Burial Place Ancestral village, Mirzapur, Tangail