A viral video on social media shows a young man, Amir Hossain (18), hanging from the rods of a fourth-floor under-construction building while police fire at him. Despite sustaining injuries, Amir survived the incident. He shared with *Prothom Alo*, “I still have nightmares of the police shooting at me.”
The incident took place on July 19 in Meradia, Rampura. Amir was shot six times in his legs by police, with the bullets passing through his limbs. He is now bedridden at his home in Nayapara, Meradia, with pillows propping up his legs.
Originally from Bancharampur in Brahmanbaria, Amir moved to Dhaka with his two siblings after losing their mother six or seven years ago. Their father, Billal Mia, remains in the village, working as an autorickshaw driver. The siblings live together in a modest tin-roofed house.
On the day of the incident, Amir was caught in the midst of a protest while returning home from Friday prayers. Seeking safety, he took refuge on the fourth floor of the building. The police, in pursuit of the protesters, found Amir and demanded that he jump down, firing shots to intimidate him. Out of fear, Amir leaped and clung to the building’s rods, at which point a police officer fired six shots, striking both of his legs.
Amir was eventually rescued by a student and two doctors after three hours. He was initially taken to a local hospital and later transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where he received treatment for three days.
Now unable to work, Amir faces uncertainty about how he will afford his medical treatment and support his family. His older brother, Nayon Mia, who works in a garment factory, is struggling to manage both Amir’s medical expenses and the household’s needs, placing the family under significant financial strain.
