In July 2024, tertiary-level students in Bangladesh protested a quota system that favored descendants of freedom fighters, demanding equal access to government jobs. The police, along with a government-backed student wing, responded with violence, killing six protesters early in the movement, according to the CBC . This incident sparked further protests and fatalities, eventually leading to the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after fifteen years in power. Among the pivotal moments, the death of Abu Sayed, a student at Begum Rokeya University, became a symbol of martyrdom. His death was immortalized through murals, art, and other symbolic gestures that went viral on social media and in the public consciousness, significantly amplifying the momentum of the nationwide movement.
Sayed was shot “at a distance of about 15 meters” with “birdshot” according to Amnesty International. Video footage shows Sayed standing with his arms outstretched as if disbelieving that he could be shot. Even after being shot four times, he initially remains standing before collapsing, a look of doubt on his face as he realizes he has been injured. Despite efforts to save him, Sayed soon passed away. Amnesty International reported that birdshot, a type of shotgun pellet typically used for “hunting birds” was used against Sayed. The image of Sayed standing with outstretched arms, his body absorbing pellets meant for birds, transforms both his body and that of a bird into paradoxical symbols of resistance and fragility. Sayed’s exposed stance, leaving his body vulnerable to imminent brutality, reveals how bodies become invisible loci of harm in the face of systemic violence.
In this essay, I aim to explore how we understand systemic violence when a weapon like birdshot, deemed acceptable for killing birds, is also considered a “non-lethal” option for humans. Is there a connection between Sayed’s death, the deaths of countless others, and the generic use of birdshot as an acceptable tool for controlling both birds and crowds? Why birdshot is regarded as a viable crowd-control method—because what kills birds is presumed insignificant for human bodies? This essay considers how both animal and human bodies are perceived as disposable when systemic violence attempts to exercise control over both—whether as objects of sport or as political threats. This interconnected process of dehumanization renders these bodies invisible, whether they stand-alone or as part of a nameless crowd.
According to a BBC report, posted on August 4, the death toll after Sayed’s passing rose to 90. The shift from Sayed’s iconic death to the anonymity of 90 deaths illustrates the unknowability of scale. Sayed’s death, interpreted as a catalyst for the movement, holds more meaning than the statistic of 90 faceless bodies. His image, arms outstretched, went viral on social media, and protesters mimicked this gesture in front of riot police in the following days. However, the 90 deaths became just a number in global media, echoing what Annie Dillard refers to as “compassion fatigue.” She asks: “At what number do other individuals blur for me?” (Slovic and Västfjäll 33). The number 90, like the term “birdshot,” represents a similar dehumanization. Birdshot is “designed for waterfowl and upland hunting, where the game is agile, small to medium-sized birds. Their sizes are numbered similarly to shotgun gauges—the smaller the number, the larger the shot” (“Shotgun Cartridge”). Just as these birds are grouped to qualify for the use of “birdshot,” reducing their individuality to a mere statistic, so are the 90 human lives reduced to a faceless number. A compassion fatigue of a different scale is at play here, where the use of birdshot to kill Sayed or a bird becomes disturbingly equitable when the intent is to dispose of both.
Compassion fatigue seems to echo “psychic numbing,” as Robert Jay Lifton and Greg Mitchell proposed in their chapter of the anthology Numbers and Nerves. Lifton and Mitchell describe psychic numbing as “a diminished capacity or inclination to feel” (62). They discuss the lasting impact of the atomic bomb on the survivors of Hiroshima, who were said to have become “insensitive to human death.” This numbness is further elaborated by Scott Slovic and Daniel Västfjäll as “a form of psychophysical numbing [that] may result from our inability to appreciate losses of life as they become larger” (31). The significance of this numbness, which extends beyond the number ‘one,’ highlights the disposability inherent in systemic violence. The use of birdshot to quell riots is well-documented in countries like Tunisia, Iran, and Egypt. Although birdshot is classified as a type of Kinetic Impact Projectile (KIP) by the ACLU, “intended to allow law enforcement or security personnel to gain control of a situation or over an individual or group, while minimizing the chance of death,” its impact often belies this intended caution. The inclusion of birdshot in the arsenal of KIPs suggests that its purpose is not merely to exercise restraint but to exert control in a way that redefines the very notion of permissible violence, blurring the line between non-lethal enforcement and lethal force.
The transformation of Sayed’s death from a visceral, human tragedy into a symbol of resistance illustrates the power of individual stories to galvanize collective action. Yet, as the number of casualties grew, the focus shifted from the individual to the abstract—numbers that, while shocking, lack the emotional resonance of a single, poignant image. This shift reflects a broader phenomenon in which the sheer scale of violence can overwhelm our capacity for empathy, leading to a kind of moral numbness.
The name “birdshot” itself contributes significantly to this numbing effect, its seemingly innocuous connotation serving to obscure the lethal reality of its use against both human and animal bodies. By naming this deadly tool after something as harmless as a bird, the violence it inflicts is subtly diminished, creating a dissonance between the term and its consequences. This dissonance blurs the lines between life and death, making the act of killing seem less egregious and more routine. Language, in this context, becomes a powerful tool of desensitization, softening the perception of brutality and reinforcing a detachment from the true nature of the violence being enacted. The term “birdshot” does more than just describe a type of ammunition; it actively participates in a process that reduces living beings—whether human or animal—to mere targets, stripping them of their vitality and reducing them to inanimate objects.
Through this linguistic manipulation, the boundaries between the animate and the inanimate, between those deserving of life and those deemed disposable, become dangerously blurred. This semantic sleight of hand not only masks the cruelty involved but also perpetuates a system where empathy is eroded, and the value of life is systematically undermined. According to Sports N’ Hobbies, there is a rationale for using specific kinds of shots for birds:
If a shot that is too large is used, it can cause severe damage, making the game worthless for the table or trophy room. Shot that is too small can inflict injuries, but it will not be effective enough to actually kill the animal. In addition to being inefficient, small shots can also be inhumane, as the bird may suffer considerably as a result of the birdshot injury (McMahon).
The justification for using birdshot in hunting is framed to fulfill the intent of the sport, acknowledging its “inhumane” nature while still prioritizing the end goal—whether for the table or the trophy room. This rationale, tied to the killing of anonymous birds, reflects a disturbing playfulness associated with satisfying the palate or pursuit of entertainment. What stands out is the underlying association of bird bodies with disposability, where their very existence becomes trivialized within a framework of weaponized entertainment. This trivialization enacts a form of dehumanization, where the harm inflicted upon animate bodies—both human and animal—is downplayed, reducing them to mere tools of leisure.
Just as ‘birdshot’ erases the individuality of the animal—reducing it to the death of a nameless bird whose body remains useful even in death—I wonder if a similar numbness arises with the death of a human being. The use of birdshot as a less-lethal weapon signals such an intent. However, Sayed’s defiant stance in the face of gunfire challenges this, nullifying the supposed purpose of such weapons as riot control gears, even when the intent is to injure rather than kill.
The phenomenon of psychic numbing illuminates how our capacity for empathy is profoundly affected when body counts exceed our cognitive and emotional limits. As statistics of death and suffering accumulate, the sheer magnitude of numbers begins to eclipse individual stories and identities, leading to a diminished emotional response. This effect is particularly evident in situations where the bodies of both humans and animals are rendered as mere statistics rather than unique, suffering individuals. The term “birdshot” exemplifies this dynamic; its casual nomenclature masks the brutality of its impact, contributing to a broader numbing effect. As the body count rises, the distance between the abstract numbers and the real human or animal lives they represent grows. This detachment fosters a disconnection from the visceral reality of violence, making it easier to overlook the human and ethical dimensions of systemic brutality. The cognitive overload caused by overwhelming statistics thus plays a crucial role in undermining our ability to empathize, reinforcing the systemic dehumanization and trivialization of life. By focusing on individual cases, such as Sayed and the bird, we confront the emotional impact of such statistics and the urgent need to address the underlying forces that render bodies as disposable figures in a larger, often indifferent narrative.
Image source: https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/how-abu-sayeed-was-shot-and-killed-rangpur-during-clash-between-police-and-protesters
Works Cited
McMahon, Mary. “What Is Birdshot?” Sports N’ Hobbies, https://www.sportsnhobbies.org/what-is-birdshot.htm.
Scott Slovic, Paul Slovic. “Numbers and Nerves.” UBC Press, Oregon State University Press, https://www.ubcpress.ca/numbers-and-nerves. Accessed 11 Aug. 2024.
“Shotgun Cartridge.” Wikipedia, 30 May 2024. Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shotgun_cartridge&oldid=1226422162#Birdshot.