In an incident that has shocked the entire nation, 18-year-old Amir Hossain, a hotel worker from Bangladesh, narrowly escaped death after being shot multiple times by police officers during a protest. Despite the horrifying circumstances, Amir lived to share his tale of survival, highlighting the chaos that unfolded on that fateful day.
On the afternoon of July 18th, Amir was returning home from work, as he usually did. He was making his way through Meradia Bazar when he noticed a protest taking place nearby. Like many others, he was caught off guard by the sudden unrest. The situation quickly escalated when Amir saw police and members of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) advancing toward the protesters from both sides of the road. Panic gripped him as he realized the seriousness of the situation. Not knowing what to do, he decided to seek safety by running into a nearby under-construction building.
Amir thought he could find a place to hide until things calmed down, but he had no idea that police officers would follow him. Determined to escape, he ran upstairs towards the rooftop. However, his attempts to flee only drew the attention of the police, who chased after him relentlessly.
What happened next left the entire country in disbelief. A video of the incident, which later went viral, showed Amir desperately clinging to a metal rod as he hung from the fourth floor of the building. Even in this life-threatening situation, the police did not hesitate to continue shooting at him. It was a moment of unimaginable terror as the young man held on for dear life, hoping to avoid the deadly force directed at him.
In a trembling voice, Amir recounted the events that led up to that critical moment. "When I entered the building, multiple police officers were running after me. I didn’t know what else to do, so I kept running up until I reached the top floor," he recalled.
With nowhere else to go, Amir made a desperate decision. He jumped from the fourth floor and managed to catch hold of a rod sticking out from one of the building’s pillars. This move was his last chance to save himself from falling, but it also exposed him to more danger as the police officers closed in on him.
"They kept shouting at me to jump, but I didn’t let go. They continued shooting and ordering me to jump, but I just held on," he said, his voice filled with sorrow. "Then one police officer shot at me from the third floor, and I felt six bullets hit my legs. I kept telling them that I wasn’t part of the protest, that I was just on my way home from work, but they didn’t listen."
The traumatic memories of that day still haunt Amir, not with fear, but with a deep sense of sadness and confusion. "When I think back to what happened, it doesn’t scare me anymore. It just makes me wonder why they did it. I didn’t join the protest, I didn’t harm anyone, yet they chose to shoot at me," he expressed with visible pain in his eyes.
After being shot, Amir’s struggle was far from over. He had to make yet another dangerous jump, this time down to the verandah of the third floor. The impact left him in unbearable pain as blood poured from his injuries. Despite the agony, he remained conscious and cried out for help as his legs bled profusely. For nearly three hours, Amir lay there, unable to move, until help finally arrived.
Eventually, some people came to his aid, including two doctors from the Famous Specialised Hospital, which is located next to the building where Amir was shot. They provided him with emergency medical care before rushing him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. There, he spent three days receiving treatment. Later, he was transferred to a private hospital in Banasree, where he continues to undergo care and recovery.
The impact of the incident has been devastating for Amir’s family. His older brother, Noyon Mia, works in the ready-made garment industry, while their father, Billal Mia, drives an auto-rickshaw in their home village of Brahmanbaria. The family has always lived a modest life, but this tragedy has added an immense burden on them. Amir and his siblings live with their paternal aunt in Meradia’s Noyapara area. Their home is a small, single-room structure made of tin. The conditions are cramped, and the room itself is dim and cluttered, reflecting the family’s financial struggles.
When we visited Amir at home, he was resting on a bed that took up most of the limited space in the room. His injured legs were elevated on a pillow as he lay there, visibly drained. Despite everything, Amir showed no signs of fear when asked if he was still afraid. He shook his head and softly said, "No, I’m not scared anymore. But I feel sad when I think about what happened."
Amir was aware of the ongoing protests in Rampura, which had been intensifying in the days leading up to the incident. However, he never imagined that he would end up in such a terrifying situation. "I never thought I would be shot six times," he said, still grappling with the reality of what he had endured.
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