It was a chaotic Wednesday morning with the air heavy with grief outside the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka. Families of the victims from the Milestone School tragedy ran between buildings with visible urgency and heartbreak. Amid the chaos, a lone motorcycle rider cut a quiet but determined figure.
Saiful Islam, a 29-year-old freelancer from Shewrapara, was not carrying a patient or a relative in exchange for money. Instead, the otherwise commercial rider came to offer what he could—free rides to blood donors or family members who are in need of quick transport. This is an act of solidarity that needs no applause. According to Saiful, it is an act of duty to stand by humanity in times of crisis.
“I don’t have the means to donate enough money,” he said simply, his voice low but steady. “But I can give my time. I can give my energy. I want to stand by them in whatever small way I can.”
Islam said he learned about the incident through social media and felt compelled to act. He rode his motorbike across the city without hesitation, parking himself near the entrance and calling out quietly to anyone in need of a lift.
“I’m not a hero,” he added, adjusting his helmet. “Just a citizen doing his part.” As ambulances wailed and families wept, Saiful’s offer, simple and practical, became a modest reminder of how everyday people rise to moments of crisis not with grand gestures, but with quiet courage. In a city too often hardened by tragedy, the kindness of strangers still breaks through.