Nasib Hasan Riyan. Photo: BSS

By Barun Kumar Dash

DHAKA, June 22, 2025 (BSS) - Hearing the news of the fall of fascist Sheikh Hasina regime, on August 5, 2024, Nasib Hasan Riyan and his friends were heading towards the Ring Road with a victory procession through Shyamoli's Khilji Road. 

The 17-year-old Riyan believed that as Sheikh Hasina fled to India, the police might not shoot anymore.

At the forefront of the procession, the brave teenager Riyan, who was rejoicing in victory, stretched his arms wide open like Rangpur's martyr Abu Sayeed and said to the police. “Will you shoot? Do it”.

 As soon as the police heard this, they opened fire on their victory procession. The police fired three bullets one after the other, hitting Riyan in three places on his body. Unable to bear the impact of the bullets, Riyan fell on the ground.

The first bullet hit his chest and exited through his back. The second entered under his ear and pierced his throat. The third bullet hit his chest and shoulder and exited, tearing the flesh...!

Talking to BSS at his residence in Shyamoli in the capital recently, Shaheed Riyan's father Md Golam Razzaque, an Agriculture Ministry official, burst into tears while talking about his son.

He kept talking about the various memories he had with his son in a heavy voice.

While describing his son's martyrdom, Riyan's father said, "They shot and wounded my son. How many bullets does it take to kill a teenage boy! I don't know how much my beloved golden son suffered before he became a martyr."

Golam Razzaque said, "I have three sons. Riyan is the second. The eldest son studies at North South University. Riyan passed SSC and got a golden GPA-5 from Dhanmondi Government Boys School.”

“Later, he got admitted to Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation College. I repeatedly forbade him from going to the anti-discrimination student movement. But he would leave quietly without informing us," he said.

Since his friend Farhan Fayaz embraced martyrdom on July 18 , Riyan was massively determined to join the student-led mass uprising.     

He used to tell everyone in the family, “My brothers are dying while demanding justice, I cannot stay at home.  I want to join the movement.   I am ready to sacrifice my life for ousting fascist Sheikh Hasina”    

Rian would also tell his father, "Dad, my friend is dead, the students are dying, I will join the movement, don't stop me. All humans have to die one day."
 
Razzaque said, "I had high hopes for my son that he would serve the country and the world. We did hope so, and our relatives were also very proud of Riyan, because he was very talented. His results were always excellent."

He further said, "My son Riyan always tried to come forward for helping the people. We used to say that Riyan is too young, he is not old enough.' Yet he helped his friends in times of danger.”

“Finally, our much-loved son Riyan was martyred in police firing." Saying this, the lamenting father broke down in tears.

Riyan’s mother Shammi Akhter said, "On August 5, around 4 pm, they took a victory procession along Khilji Road towards the Ring Road. A neighbor youth, who works in the media, went to take pictures and saw that Riyan had been shot!"

“When I went to bring the clothes that were drying on the roof, I heard them saying Riyan was shot. As soon as I heard that, I ran home and asked his father where my Riyan is, where my Riyan is!"

Razzaque said, “Saying this, I saw Riyan’s mother quickly leaving the house, saying, what happened to my Riyan, what happened?' I also immediately went downstairs.”

“Just then, my eldest son Rafi called and said, father, where are you? Come soon, Riyan is shot,” the father said in a heavy voice.

At first, Ryan was taken to a private hospital on Ring Road. His friends said he was alive. Then they quickly took him to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital (SSMCH).

“That's when I realized that my son was no more,” said the father.

He said, “At that time, there were four dead bodies lying at the mouth of the Ring Road. There was still heavy firing. When the firing stopped for a while, I couldn't find an ambulance. So I took him to SSMCH in a relative's car.”

Golam Razzaque said, "There were so many bodies in SSMCH that day! I have never seen this before! There were 10-12 bullet-riddled bodies in each ward on the fourth floor.”

“They took my son to the emergency room, put a pipe in his mouth and punched him. Then the doctor said Riyan died a long time ago, it was too late. Then we brought the body without an autopsy," he said.

“Later, I bathed my son at Shyamoli Jam-e-Masjid around midnight. We held a funeral there and buried his body next to his grandfather's grave at Ambagicha graveyard in Keraniganj (Riyan's maternal grandfather's house) around 1 am on August 6.”

When this BSS reporter went to their Shyamoli house, he saw books and bags arranged neatly on the study table and shelves, belts hanging on the wall, a tidy bed. The furniture of the room lay empty as Riyan was no more.

Showing his son's used belongings, Razzaque said that Riyan has two pet cats named Tom and Jerry.

Riyan's mother also said that the morning after the Eid-ul-Azha in 2024, Riyan went to Chandpur with his friends, where he drowned. Later, they brought him to the hospital in an ambulance.
 
At that time, he was on life support. He regained consciousness after two days and escaped death for once.
 
”I told Riyan, look, Allah Almighty has saved you from death once, will it happen again? Why do you think death is such a game? Riyan used to say that if death is written in my fate early, I will die,” she said.
 
“My much-loved son Riyan wanted to become a pilot. I used to say that I will make him a doctor. He used to say that he will become a pilot. You should make your younger son Rafsan a doctor,” the mother said in teary eyes.
 
Golam Razzaque said, "My son Riyan participated in the anti-discrimination student-public movement motivated by patriotism. The fear of death could not stop him from joining the movement.”
 
“Riyan’s dream was to become a pilot, but that dream was never fulfilled. He gave his life for the country," the lamenting father said, crying uncontrollably.
 
Shammi Akhter said, "My son Riyan was a piece of my heart. The police killed him with great pain."
 
"Riyan played a heroic role in the anti-discrimination student movement. He was a student leader at the forefront of the movement," she said, and demanded the death penalty for the killers of her innocent son.