Millad Hossain. Photo: Collected

By Syed Altefat Hossain

DHAKA, Feb 24, 2025 (BSS) – Despite suffering serious bullet injury in his arm, 
Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) Dhaka College unit’s Member Secretary Millad 
Hossain breathed a sigh of relief as the country has been freed from the autocracy.

“Finally, Bangladesh has been freed from deep-rooted autocratic 
regime  at the cost of lives and blood of thousands of people. I wish that 
democratic process will continue in the country destroying all kinds of 
autocratic system,” he shared while talking to BSS.  

Millad (30) sustained the bullet injury in a procession brought by JCD in 
the city’s Bijoy Nagar area on July 19 during the student-led mass 
uprising in 2024.  
    
He added: “I find peace and comfort when I think that I am one of those 
who shed their blood to liberate the country.”

Recalling the terrible incident, Millad said Bangladesh Nationalist Party 
(BNP) called a rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club here on July 19 
in support of the quota reform movement under the banner of Anti-
Discrimination Student Movement.

Under the leadership of JCD General Secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir, the 
leaders and activists of the BNP’s student wing were trying to join the 
rally with a procession from Paltan Tower premises.

“When we started the procession around 2pm, the police stationed on 
the main road adjacent to the Bijoynagar water tank fired rubber bullets 
and tear gas and dispersed us. At that time we took positions in the 
surrounding alleys,” said Millad, who still then didn’t know what a fateful 
incident was ahead of him.

He recalled that within half an hour, they gathered again and tried to 
march towards the main road with the procession.

At that time, the police opened fire directly from Chinese rifles leaving 
two persons, including Jubo Dal leader Navin Talukder, dead on the spot 
and three others injured.

Millad, then JCD Dhaka College unit’s joint general secretary, was 
among them while two others are JCD Dhaka College unit’s assistant 
training affairs secretary Abdullah Al Imran and former joint convener of 
Dhaka City North JCD Fakhrul Islam Fahad.

A bullet hit Millad’s left arm and exited through the back side disabling his 
left hand.

Millad recalled at that time his fellows rescued and took them to different 
hospitals while he was taken to Islami Bank Hospital at Kakrail in the city 
by a motorcycle. But the Islami Bank Hospital authorities refused to 
provide treatment to him.

Recounting the inhuman approach of the members of law enforcement 
agencies, he said, “When I was being taken to Dhaka Medical College 
Hospital by an ambulance from Kakrail, the police stopped me at the 
Kakrail intersection. Later, I was rushed to Aurora Hospital in 
Shantinagar”.

Millad was kept in the intensive care unit (ICU) and underwent surgery 
that night. But a day later, on July 21, he recalled, the hospital authorities 
requested them to leave the hospital within 10 minutes, saying the DB 
police would conduct a raid to arrest the protesters.

On that day Millad took shelter at the house of one of his relatives in the 
city. The next day, he was admitted to Dhanmondi General and Kidney 
Hospital again where he underwent another surgery on July 26. Due to 
security concerns, however, Millad went home on July 30.

Millad Hossain, youngest among their three siblings including a sister, is 
now living at a rented house in the city’s Azimpur Area and leading the 
Dhaka College unit of JCD as its member secretary. His father Jitu Mia is 
the former convener of Bahubal Upazila BNP in Habiganj district.

Millad served as the convener of his college unit of JCD when he was a 
higher secondary student. When he enrolled in Dhaka College, he was 
first given the responsibility of assistant organizing secretary of the 
college unit of JCD.

Millad, a master’s student at Dhaka College, said the leaders and 
activists of his college unit Chhatra Dal were active from the beginning of 
the student movement. They joined the movement at the Science Lab 
intersection until July 18.

But, he couldn’t join the street movement from July 19 as he was 
struggling to survive since he was even deprived of proper treatment 
due to police harassment.

Millad said he is still undergoing treatment at the Bangabandhu Sheikh 
Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) in the city.

“Doctors have said that my bullet-injured (left) hand will never be normal. 
Even then, they want to keep me under observation for another year. I 
am now taking physiotherapy regularly at the hospital,” Millad said with a 
faded face.

Noting that steel plates have been installed in place of the bone in the 
bullet-injured spot, he said, another operation will be needed to remove 
the steel plate.

“Despite all the sufferings, I have found relief in the fall of the dictator 
Sheikh Hasina. During the Awami League regime, I was accused in 12 
false cases and served jail for multiple times. I was attacked by the 
Chhatra League too on campus,” he said with a smile that reflected a 
sign of freedom in his face.

Millad added that he was even a victim of disappearance by DB.

About the treatment cost, Millad said BNP Acting Chairman Tarique 
Rahman has always been in touch with him and bearing the medical 
expenses.