Kazi Raimul Islam, a 24-year-old computer science student at Daffodil Institute of IT (DIIT), was an ordinary young man with an extraordinary dream—he wanted to become a software architect. Living in the Jurain area of Dhaka, he was steadily working toward that goal. But the afternoon of August 5, 2024, changed everything. That day, Raimul lost his left leg to a police bullet.
Took to the streets after hearing ‘Sheikh Hasina has fled’
By early August, the wave of the July-August mass uprising had spread across the capital. On August 5, Raimul joined a protest with friends in Shanir Akhra. The procession was heading toward Kajla around 2:00 pm when a rumour quickly spread: “Sheikh Hasina has fled the country.” At that moment, police opened fire from the direction of Jatrabari Police Station.
“I was standing right in front of the police station when the shooting started,” Raimul said. “A bullet hit me directly in the knee of my left leg.”
He lay injured beneath a nearby building for two hours as gunfire continued outside. No one could reach him to help.
Shattered knee—leg amputated that night
Two hours later, he was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. By the time he got an X-ray—after waiting in a long queue—it was already evening. The scan revealed his knee bone had been shattered. An emergency surgery followed, but doctors later detected a vascular injury.
He was referred to the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases. But by the time he reached there—after hiring an ambulance for Tk 8,000 at 10:00 pm—it was already too late. The lower leg tissue had died and could not be saved.
“I couldn’t accept it at first when they said my leg had to be amputated,” said Raimul. “But the pain was unbearable—I eventually agreed.”
The final amputation surgery took place at the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR) at 1:00 am. He regained consciousness the next day at noon. Over the following weeks, he underwent five additional surgeries. The last operation was on September 12.
BRAC provided a prosthetic—his dream lives on
In November, following his recovery, BRAC provided him with a prosthetic leg. He can now walk independently and climb stairs, though he still cannot run. But Raimul has not given up. He is currently interning at a software company.
“My dream of becoming a software architect is still alive,” he said.
The motivation behind the protest
Raimul had no personal stake in government jobs or the quota system. But after witnessing the attack on Dhaka University students and the death of Abu Sayed on July 17, he felt compelled to act. He posted on Facebook and joined the protests.
One memory continues to haunt him: “I saw a boy named Sohag on the street, and the police were pinning him down and shooting him in the leg. That’s when I decided I wanted the downfall of this government.”
He added, “I was afraid the economy might collapse after the regime change. But Alhamdulillah, that didn’t happen. And it’s now clear that Sheikh Hasina wasn’t better for the country.”
July Foundation absent from list of supporters
Although several organizations supported him during his hospital stay, Raimul expressed disappointment with the July Foundation. “When I messaged them, they told me to bring paperwork. But I felt that wasn’t my responsibility—it was theirs. Some people received help from the July Foundation; many others didn’t.”
He received Tk 100,000 in government aid through the Deputy Commissioner’s office, with officials saying another Tk 200,000 would be allocated in the next budget. Since July, he has also been promised a monthly allowance.
“Youth must lead in politics”
Raimul believes it is time for young people to take political leadership.
“There should be a separate political party led by youth. Those who have fought should be the ones leading.”
Like Raimul, many young protesters have lost much—but their hopes for the country remain strong. They dream of a future shaped by youth-led politics—one in which no citizen ever again has to lose a leg to a bullet fired by their own country’s police.