Folnu to the rescue

Grieving local hero puts personal tragedy aside to help fellow citizen

Emdad Rahman::

Folnu Meah

A Bangladeshi man is being hailed a hero after his actions and quick thinking helped prevent serious injury or even the death of a local woman who fell from a second floor balcony.

On the day Britain remembered its fallen heroes it was apt that one in the community came to the fore. Twenty three year old Sheikh Folnu Meah put aside personal trauma to come to the aid of a female resident of Rutherford House on the Collingwood Estate.

Folnu, who had buried his father, 87 year old Shaykh Zahir Meah earlier that day, caught the 33 year old woman after she jumped off her balcony. His quick wits prevented a serious tragedy.

Folnu, who has lived on Brady Street, E1 all his life and has eight brothers and sisters, said: “I work at a local Bethnal Green gym and was returning home after finishing a personal workout. We had buried my father and it had been a very difficult day. It was almost midnight and I was standing outside talking to my friends.

“The lady came out on her balcony and spoke to us. This was unusual as it was late and she didn’t know us.

“She told us she was always scared and worried about her safety, and then screamed that someone was going to kill her. We tried to calm her down as she was really stressed. She suddenly cried ‘I can’t take it any longer’ and jumped. I leapt forward and luckily caught her. She didn’t even touch the floor.

“People had come out and I asked a few women to hold her whilst I called the ambulance and police. I also asked the women if she had any children. They said she did have a child, and I asked them to go up to her flat to check the child was safe. They went up, and fortunately the child was fine.”

The local ward Councillor, Mizanur Chaudhury, was full of praise for his constituent: “Folnu’s courageous act to help a fellow citizen is an immense moment of pride for the people of this ward and borough. Young people are not always given the praise they deserve, and Folnu is a shining example of the good they do. I would like to congratulate Folnu for his selfless act – putting aside his personal trauma to help a fellow human.

A resident who lives at Rutherford house said: “These young men are often looked down on, especially when we see them hanging about public spaces.

“Who are we to judge? Are our lives so perfect? Before we point the finger, we should stop and realise: these young men have it in them to be heroes too.

“As a whole community, we the residents of Rutherford House want to thank these heroes and give our appreciation to Folnu for saving one of our neighbour’s lives.”

Folnu and his friends congregate on the estate near what is known as the Red Pitch. He added, “There are youth clubs near here, but the younger teenagers don’t like us hanging out there. My friends and I go to the cinema and bowling, but we can’t do that everyday. Here in the park, we have our privacy and we can get away from our problems for a while.”

Folnu’s actions were praised by the police and paramedics who attended.

The modest hero who had four friends with him at the time added; “I’m just glad I could help. Anybody else would do the same.”

Additional reporting with support from Faizah Sharif and Fatima Chowdhury.