"Please let me take the body," Hossain's brother Hasan was begging the police in the midst of chaos. Seeing his brother lying motionless beside a pile of corpses, he thought Hossain had died. However, Mohammad Hossain Ahmed survived the unspeakable, but lost an arm.
On the morning of 5 August 2024, Hossain was shot by police in Jatrabari. While various events are being held to commemorate the uprising, the trauma is fresh in Hossain's mind.
The terrifying scenes of that day come alive in his own words. The July warrior was speaking to Stream, recalling his experience on the day the Awami League regime fell.
The 24-year-old lives with his family in the city's Demra. He actively participated in almost every programme during the July-August movement. On 5 August, the streets of Dhaka echoed with the slogans demanding Hasina's ouster.
That morning, he left his home with his two other brothers to join the protests. A massive crowd had gathered In Jatrabari. Suddenly, police opened fire at the gathering, and bodies started falling in front of him. He said they had moved forward slightly to understand where the bullets were coming from, and they noticed snipers positioned atop nearby buildings.
Moments later, a group of police officers confronted him. They pointed a weapon at him, and shot him, one of them saying, "Pay the price for showing up like this." Hossain collapsed on the ground.
Amid the turmoil of that day, reaching medical aid proved to be another battle as there were not enough vehicles available. "Just for transport, I had to spend around Tk 60,000. Multiple hospitals refused to admit me. And yet, I still had to lose my arm," Hossain said.
It's been nearly one year since that day. The amputation has changed his life significantly as many tasks have become difficult for him. He still has to take regular medication, and his family is under strain, trying to help him cope with the trauma.
"My son gets angry over the smallest things now. Sometimes he just sits there, completely withdrawn. It breaks my heart. I get scared," Hossain's mother said.
Earlier, on 1 July 2024, students began a movement demanding reform of the quota system in government jobs. From then on, the protests continued under the banner of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, with various programmes and demonstrations. According to multiple reports, law enforcement, and activists of the then ruling party started a campaign of violence against protesters, including enforced disappearances, killings.
Eventually, on 3 August 2024, the movement united under a single demand - Sheikh Hasina's resignation. On 5 August, in the face of the mass uprising led by students and the people, Hasina stepped down and fled to India.
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