A young man named Md. Riyadh Rashid from Karimganj Upazila of Kishoreganj has been killed in a Ukrainian drone strike in Russia
The deceased, Md. Riyad Rashid (28), was a resident of Mazhirkona village under Jafarabad Union in the upazila, and the son of Abdur Rashid, a former teacher at Jafarabad High School. He was serving in the Russian military.
According to sources, on Friday (May 8) at around 7:00 PM, Riyadh’s friend Limon Datta informed the family of his death via Messenger. Limon himself was stationed at the same camp in Russia and lost one of his legs in the drone strike, and is currently receiving treatment at a hospital.
Limon stated that on May 2, Ukrainian forces carried out a drone attack on the Russian border. Riyadh along with two other Bangladeshis and one Nigerian were killed in the strike, and three others were injured. The family learned of Riyadh’s death on Friday.
The family claims that Riyadh went to Russia last October for work with a company. On April 7, he joined the Russian military, with batch number 735. However, the family was unaware of his enlistment beforehand.
Riyadh’s father, Abdur Rashid, is devastated by the news of his son’s death. He said, “He never told us he had joined the military. Had I known, I would never have let him go there. Now I’m hearing that everything ended in a drone strike. I cannot even find my son’s body. How am I supposed to bear this pain as a father?”
Riyadh’s cousin Jahirul Islam said that the last conversation the family had with Riyadh was on April 28. He was last seen online on Messenger on the night of April 29 at 10:00 PM.
Regarding the matter, Jafarabad Union Parishad (UP) Chairman Abu Sadat Md. Sayem said, “The incident is extremely tragic. I have reached out to the family of the deceased. If there is any opportunity for financial assistance from the government, we will certainly arrange it.”
Karimganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md. Imranul Kabir confirmed that police visited Riyadh Rashid’s home, spoke with his relatives, and verified the death.