Tahsin, the boy who had forgotten how to smile after losing his elder sister, has met the prime minister, Tarique Rahman. He paid a courtesy call on Tarique Rahman at the prime minister’s office at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Wednesday, accompanied by his father, Nazmul Haque.
The prime minister’s assistant press secretary, Gazi Shahriar Pamir, gave the information.
A photograph from the closing ceremony of “Notun Kuri Sports 2025-26,” held at the Bangladesh Army Stadium in the capital on 27 July, spread across social media within moments. Amid a crowd of thousands of children, the sight of a boy in school uniform stretching out both hands towards the prime minister, Tarique Rahman, with a delighted smile on his face, touched the hearts of countless people. The boy’s name is Tahsin Abdullah. Behind the smile in the photograph, however, lay a story of deep grief.
In the tragic crash of a fighter jet at Milestone School in Uttara in July 2025, Tahsin lost the person dearest to him, his elder sister Tasnia. Although they studied at the same school, they were in different buildings that day. Tahsin was then a sixth-grade student and Tasnia was in the eighth grade. The jet came down on Tasnia’s school building.
Hearing the sound of the huge explosion, young Tahsin ran to look for his elder sister. He had heard from someone that saline and water were needed. He stood holding a bottle of saline and water in his two small hands for his sister. But that wait never ended.
According to the family, Tahsin changed after the accident. At a healing session he wrote on a piece of paper: “My pain is very great. I have lost my dear sister. She has died. I miss her very, very much, she was my best friend.”
After losing his sister, the open smile of before was no longer seen on Tahsin’s face. He is now in the seventh grade. The family has another younger daughter, who is in nursery.
At the Bangladesh Army Stadium event on 27 July, a different Tahsin seemed to appear. As the prime minister, Tarique Rahman, was walking around the field, the boy grew delighted as he came near. That pure smile and delight was caught on camera. The picture later spread across social media, and countless people recognised their own feelings in Tahsin’s smile.
The prime minister, Tarique Rahman, later learned that behind the smiling face in the photograph lay a heartbreaking family history. On learning of it, he instructed his additional press secretary, Atikur Rahman Rumon, to find out about Tahsin and his family.
The prime minister’s assistant press secretary said the meeting between Tahsin and Tarique Rahman followed from that.
At the meeting the prime minister asked about Tahsin’s studies and what he wanted to be when he grew up. Tahsin said he wanted to become a successful businessman, and to do something that would benefit people and draw them to it.
The prime minister praised Tahsin’s dream. He also advised the boy to study attentively, play sport regularly and work with dedication to realise his dream.
In conversation Tahsin said his hobby was playing football. The prime minister presented him with a basketball signed by himself and a drone set as gifts.
After the meeting a delighted Tahsin said he was very happy to have met the prime minister again. He had never imagined he would get such an opportunity, and the whole thing was a complete surprise to him. He said he was waiting eagerly to go to school and tell his friends the story of meeting the prime minister.
The prime minister expressed his deep condolences and sympathy to Tahsin’s father, who lost a child in the Milestone jet crash.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report