Md. Ridoy

Life, Protest, Martyrdom, and the Pain of Loss
Md. Ridoy was a young man who stood against social inequality. Though many do not know him personally, his death shakes our conscience. A dream, a family, a life—all were erased simply for taking part in a protest. This is the story of Ridoy, a story of resistance, and a story revealing the harsh reality of state cruelty.
In July and August 2024, as the nationwide anti-discrimination student-people’s movement reached its peak, this young man stood on the street with his life on the line. His name was Md. Ridoy. He dreamed of one day relieving his parents’ hardships, but that dream was shattered by the bullets of the government’s police on 5 August in Konabari, Gazipur. He was not only killed, but also forcibly disappeared. Even today, his mother waits, carrying the memory in her eyes, saying: “Just once, let me see my son.”
Martyr Profile
Md. Ridoy is a name that today echoes only in memory, tears, and protest. Born on 1 May 2004 in a remote village of Alamnagar, Gopalpur Upazila, to a poor van driver Lal Mia and homemaker Rehena Begum, no one might have imagined that this boy would one day light the torch of hope with his own blood in the darkest hours of the country.
His father Lal Mia spent most of his life driving a van to feed the family. The toll of age and hardship has nearly incapacitated him. His mother, Rehena Begum, an ordinary housewife, was seen by Hridoy as a brave woman who dreamed of raising her son into a decent human despite the household’s miseries.
After passing SSC, Ridoy enrolled in Hemnagar Degree College in the Humanities Department. His dream was to finish education, speak out against injustice, and support his parents. But dreams alone could not sustain life. Pressured by poverty and harsh realities, he moved to Gazipur, where, with help from his uncle, he bought an auto-rickshaw to earn his living. He would drive during the day and study late into the night despite exhaustion.
He had two married sisters living separately. He was the only son, the light of his parents’ hopes. Rehena Begum watched over him closely, fearing the hard times might consume him. She said, "Ridoy is not just my son, he is my courage." That courage is now bloodstained, his existence found only in tears and blood-soaked lungis.
Family Economic Background
“Our home was gripped by poverty. My son went to Gazipur just to keep our family alive,” said Rehena Begum with tear-filled eyes and a trembling voice. Her words echo the agony of countless helpless mothers.
Born and raised amidst scarcity and struggle, Ridoy’s family survived through the hard labor of his father and the sacrifices of his mother. Lal Mia has spent his life driving a van but can barely walk today. Rehena Begum manages the household with no income and no land except a small 4–5 kattha plot. No crops, no business, no government support. Their house’s roof is sagging, and the only changing calendar is marked by days counted with scarcity.
Ridoy grew up in this house. After passing SSC, he joined Hemnagar Degree College, but supporting his studies and family expenses became impossible. So he went to Gazipur, drove an auto-rickshaw by day, and studied by night.
He dreamed not only of building himself but also of gifting his parents a better home and a life free from poverty’s curse. His mother recalled, “He used to say, ‘Mother, I will not only study. I won’t let you and father suffer anymore. One day, people will say this home belongs to a brave son.’”
But that brave son’s life ended in a gunshot. His pain, dreams, and struggle stopped in a police bullet. Today, the stove at that home remains unlit. Holding his son’s shirt tightly, Rehena Begum weeps and says, “Someone might have won with my son’s blood, but I have lost my entire world.”
Participation in the Movement
5 August 2024 marked a bloody day of rebellion in Bangladesh’s history. That day, student-people took to the streets across the country to demand victory. They protested soaring prices, misrule, and corruption. The movement wave reached Gazipur, where Ridoy stood among thousands on Konabari Road—calm, brave, and determined.
He had no weapons, no political ID, no party symbol. His only possession was a piece of a dream and the fiery light of protest in his eyes. Against police armor, tear gas, and rifles, stood a young man with a bare chest, filled with years of grievance and hope.
He was not alone. By his side was his companion and brother-in-law Ibrahim Hossain. Recalling the harrowing moments, Ibrahim still shudders, “We were together. When the firing started, we ran. I hid in a nearby house, but he was behind. Suddenly, the police caught him and dragged him away. I could only watch, frozen with fear, unable to say or do anything. That sight haunts my nights.”
The gunshots that day on the roads of Gazipur did not just stop a protest—they ended a future. Ridoy, who came to the city to save his family, became a martyr. Unknown as a political activist, he became the voice of the people, a symbol of unarmed resistance.
Martyrdom Incident
On 5 August 2024, at 5:30 PM near the gate of Sharif General Hospital, Konabari Thana, Gazipur, gunfire suddenly broke out. Panic spread as people fled. Some hid indoors, others pulled down shop shutters.
At that moment, young Ridoy hid behind a building corner, lowering his head. He did not run or scream—only pleaded silently to live. But the police ignored his pleas.
Eyewitness Robin Mia said with a trembling voice, “Ridoy was hiding by the building. Police found him. He joined his hands pleading, but they didn’t listen. Instead, they beat him brutally and threw him down. Then 10-12 police surrounded him. One officer fired directly at him. He fell immediately.”
A video of the incident quickly went viral on Facebook. It shows a trembling young man trying to speak, surrounded by police who mercilessly assault him. Suddenly, a policeman fires a gunshot. The youth’s body shudders and collapses. Then several officers drag and pull the body away—no ambulance, no rescue, just a rush to conceal.
The family identified Ridoy by the bloodstained lungi found at the scene—his work clothes from driving the auto-rickshaw.
But from that day until now, his body has not been recovered. He remains lost in the dark abyss of state cruelty.
Former Alamnagar Union member Abdul Hamid said, “I have a shop in Konabari. Before the rally, Ridoy was in front of my shop. His sister’s husband was also there. From a distance, he saw police shoot Ridoy, but no one dared go forward out of fear.”
A Mother’s Grief
Though the night deepens, mother cannot sleep. She weeps continuously and says, “Bring my son back. Let me see him once.” The grief lodged in her chest is beyond words.
Her husband Lal Mia, now feeble with age, says nothing. He just sits quietly by the window, silent tears in his eyes, and a silent roar in his heart. The dreams Ridoyhad—to lift his family out of poverty—are now written in his blood. But no one knows where that blood has gone.
Economic Proposals
1. Housing: Government assistance to build a permanent house on their homestead land.
2. Monthly Allowance: Lifetime monthly martyr’s allowance of at least 10,000 BDT to the family.
3. Education: Scholarship and educational support for the children of Ridoy’s two sisters.
4. Father’s Medical Care and Livelihood: Financial assistance for treatment and livelihood of his ailing father Lal Mia.
5. Mother’s Livelihood: Support for small business or sewing machine for mother Rehena Begum.
6. Body Recovery and Legal Aid: Government intervention to recover Ridoy’s body and provide legal assistance to the family.
7. Security and Psychological Support: Protection and mental health support for the martyr’s family members.
At a Glance: Martyr Hridoy’s Profile
Detail Information
Full Name Md. Ridoy
Date of Birth 01/05/2004
Place of Birth Gopalpur, Tangail
Occupation Student (drove auto-rickshaw to support family)
Institution Hemnagar Degree College, 1st Year, Humanities
Permanent & Current Address Village: Alamnagar, Union: Alamnagar, Thana: Gopalpur, District: Tangail
Father’s Name Lal Mia, Van Driver, Age: 65
Mother’s Name Rehena Begum, Homemaker, Age: 60
Family Members Father, Mother, 2 Married Sisters
Incident Location Near gate of Sharif General Hospital, Konabari Thana, Gazipur
Attacker Police
Injury Date & Time 05/08/2024, 5:30 PM
Date & Time of Martyrdom 05/08/2024, 5:35 PM
Current Status of Body Body still missing