Cancer ends a national-team dream: young Feni cricketer Hridoy dies on way to Dhaka for treatment

Feni's young cricketer Mehedi Hasan Hridoy had been fighting with a dream in his heart — to play wearing the national team jersey. That dream of the cricketer, who played for the Chattogram Division under-18 side, has now been stopped by cancer. On Saturday (24 October) he died on the way to Dhaka, where he was being taken for advanced treatment. His death has cast a shadow of grief over Feni's sporting community.

Hridoy was suffering from acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), a type of blood cancer. In medical terms, it is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. After the disease was diagnosed, he had been receiving treatment for a long time, and his family members had been spending their days in deep anxiety about his treatment.

Hridoy was the only son of Abul Kashem of Madhuai village in Baligaon Union under Feni Sadar Upazila. He was the elder child of the family; he has a younger sister. Having lost their only son, the family is now in mourning, according to local sources.

The young cricketer's talent had drawn attention in age-group cricket. His experience of playing for the Chattogram Division under-18 team was opening the door to bigger cricket for him. To teammates and organisers he was a promising player whose goal was one day to take the field for the national team.

After news of his illness spread, the cricket community and the government stood beside Hridoy. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports extended help for his treatment. Alongside the two institutions, local sports organisers in Feni also took initiatives to continue his treatment with financial support.

On 2 July, at the BCB office, State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque handed a cheque of five lakh taka for treatment to Hridoy's father Abul Kashem. The BCB gave the same amount of assistance. In all, the family received five lakh taka from each of the two institutions, with which efforts were being made to meet the cost of treatment.

But despite all efforts, the young cricketer could not be saved. On Saturday he died on the way to Dhaka for advanced treatment. Dhaka, which was once at the centre of his cricketing dreams, became the road on which his life's journey ended — a reality his family and people in the sporting community are finding hard to accept.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has expressed grief over Hridoy's death. In the board's condolence and local reactions, the untimely death of the young player is being seen as a major loss for cricket.

BCB's Feni district councillor Shariful Islam Apu said, 'The death of Mehedi Hasan Hridoy is an irreparable loss for the district and for the country's cricket. He was a promising young cricketer. His dream was to play for the national team. But he had to leave before that dream could be fulfilled. Hridoy's untimely death is extremely painful.'

Many local sports organisers in Feni had stood beside Hridoy during his treatment. Despite their combined efforts, the support of the BCB and the ministry, and the family's struggle, the young cricketer ultimately had to surrender to a disease as difficult as cancer.

Hridoy's story has once again brought to the fore the question of treatment support when talented young players fall seriously ill. His family's experience shows how difficult it is for a family alone to bear the cost of treatment for those who grow up in age-group cricket as the future of the country's game.

For now, the family and Feni's sporting community are trying to cope with their grief. Teammates, organisers and well-wishers are paying tribute to the young cricketer's memory. Mehedi Hasan Hridoy has departed with his dream of playing for the national team unfulfilled, but Feni cricket will remember his fight and his talent in age-group cricket.