On July 27, amidst a sea of thousands of children at the Bangladesh Army Stadium, a single image began to pulse through social media.
It captured a school-uniformed teenager, his arms outstretched toward Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, his face lit with a smile so radiant it touched the hearts of countless Bangladeshis. That boy was Tahsin Abdullah, and behind that momentary flash of joy lay a narrative of profound loss and a year of silence.
For those who recognised him, the smile was a revelation. In July 2025, Tahsin’s world was shattered when a fighter jet crashed into Milestone School in Uttara.
On that tragic day, Tahsin, then in Class 6, was in a separate building from his elder sister, Tasnia, a student of Class 8. When the deafening explosion echoed through the campus, the young boy did not run for safety; he ran toward the fire to find his sister.
Having heard someone mention that the injured needed fluids, Tahsin stood amidst the chaos, clutching bottles of water and saline in his small hands, waiting for a sister who would never come out.
The aftermath of the crash left a void that family members say changed Tahsin entirely. In a heartbreaking note written during a healing session, he once had recorded, “My pain is great. I have lost my dear sister. She is dead. I miss her very much, she was my best friend.”
For a long time, the exuberant boy who once filled his home with laughter was gone, replaced by a quiet student who seemed to have forgotten how to smile.
The transformation captured at the “Nutan Kuri Sports 2025-26” closing ceremony did not escape the notice of the prime minister.
Upon learning the heartbreaking history behind the viral photograph, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman directed his Additional Press Secretary, Atiqur Rahman Rumon, to locate the family.
This led to an invitation to the Bangladesh Secretariat on Wednesday, where Tahsin, accompanied by his father, Nazmul Huq, was received for a courtesy meeting.
In the quiet of the Prime Minister’s Office, the conversation turned away from the tragedy of the past toward the possibilities of the future. Tarique enquired about Tahsin’s studies – he is now in Class 7 – and his aspirations.
Tahsin shared his dream of becoming a successful businessman, expressing a desire to create something that would benefit society and attract people’s interest.
Encouraging the young boy, the prime minister advised him to stay dedicated to his education, maintain his passion for sports, and work with sincerity to realise his dreams.
Knowing Tahsin’s love for football, Tarique presented him with a signed basketball and a drone set. The meeting, which Tahsin described as a “complete surprise,” left the teenager beaming once more.
“I never imagined I would get such an opportunity,” he said, adding that he was eager to return to school to share the story with his friends.
During the visit, Tarique also took a moment to express his deepest condolences and sympathy to Tahsin’s father for the loss of his daughter in the Milestone School tragedy.
The meeting was attended by several high-ranking officials, including Additional Press Secretary Atiqur Rahman Rumon, Private Secretary-2 Md Mehedul Islam, Assistant Private Secretary-2 Abdur Rahman Sani, Associate Professor (Orthopaedic) Shah Muhammad Aman Ullah, Deputy Press Secretary-1 Zahidul Islam Rony, and “Amra BNP Poribar” Member Secretary Moksedul Momin Mithun.
