The Health Services Division formed a committee on Thursday, August 15, to compile a complete list of those injured and killed in the protests during the period of the quota reform movement to the government’s fall. The main objective is to ensure medical treatment for the injured and provide support to the families of the deceased. However, more than two weeks have passed, and the government has yet to finalize this list. Officials have claimed that delays are occurring due to slow information sharing from private hospitals. Additionally, the Ministry of Health and the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) have reported difficulties in obtaining full details of some of the deceased.
It is known that hospitals across the country regularly send reports to the DGHS on the number of patients admitted and deceased. Information on casualties related to the anti-discrimination protests in July and August has also been collected as part of these regular activities. However, no information has been received from private hospitals on this matter. Only data from government medical college hospitals, institute hospitals, district or general hospitals, and upazila health complexes have been obtained.
A senior official from the DGHS, who requested anonymity, told Bonik Barta, “The DGHS’s MIS (Management Information System) is collecting data on casualties under the supervision of the new committee. However, private hospitals have been largely unresponsive. For those compiling the list of the deceased, data have been gathered on bodies brought to and recorded by hospitals, as well as those who died while receiving treatment. Full details are still missing for many of the deceased. Several people died during the protests, and their bodies were retrieved from the streets by fellow protesters or family members. There are challenges in documenting these cases.”
The official added, “The records only include the names of some of the deceased. Full details are lacking. During the violent days, complete information on many of the deceased was not provided. Efforts are now underway to locate them. Moreover, proof is required to establish that those bodies taken directly from the scene were victims of the protests. It is not enough for someone to simply claim that their relative was a victim. Software has been developed to collect data from hospitals, and relevant health institutions are providing information.”
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Support Society (HRSS), a human rights organization, stated in its human rights observation report that at least 819 people were killed during the anti-discrimination protests. Although 630 names have been identified, the organization reported that the identities of 189 remain unknown. Additionally, nearly 25,000 people were injured across the country. The HRSS claimed that they compiled this report using data from various media outlets, hospitals, eyewitnesses, and affected families.
After visiting the Central Police Hospital in Rajarbagh, Dhaka, on Thursday (August 29), Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum told reporters, “Over 1,000 people were killed in the anti-discrimination protests. More than 400 lost their eyesight, and many others had to have limbs amputated.”
What started as a quota reform movement in Dhaka at the beginning of July spread across the country by Tuesday, July 16. Six people were killed in violent incidents that day. Violence escalated day by day, with the death toll rising. The largest number of fatalities occurred on the day of the government’s fall. Nearly 70 percent of those killed died from gunshot wounds.
In an effort to ensure proper medical care for the injured and support for the families of the deceased, the government formed a 17-member inter-ministerial committee to create a complete list of victims. The DGHS has been working on this list under the supervision of the committee, which was formed on Thursday, August 15. However, before the committee began its work, the DGHS had compiled a list of 407 people killed based solely on government hospital records as of Monday, August 12. Among these, 290 were brought dead (died before reaching the hospital). In addition to these government records, bodies were also brought to private hospitals and clinics across the country, and many died while receiving treatment. However, the government’s health services implementing and regulatory agency has not been able to collect this information.
A responsible source from the committee reported that, “Data on casualties between July 15 and August 5 is being collected. If anyone injured dies while receiving treatment, their information will also be included in the list. As of yesterday (Monday, September 2), the names of just over 15,000 injured people have been found, along with approximately 575 names of the deceased. However, it is not yet possible to say when this list will be completed. The government is also prioritizing gathering information on those who died during the protests but were not registered in hospitals. In such cases, family members will need to present appropriate evidence to the DGHS or district or upazila health authorities. Additionally, a recommendation from the protest coordinators will be required.”
At least five specialized hospitals in the capital reported to Bonik Barta that they were unable to fully register all the bodies brought to government hospitals. A senior official in the emergency department of one medical college hospital, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “Only half of the bodies brought to the hospital were taken to the morgue. Those who brought the bodies were so enraged that it was impossible to communicate with them. We could not gather names or addresses of the deceased. The bodies were taken away by the protesters. In some cases, it was possible to issue death certificates, but others were taken away from the emergency department doors. If a body is not taken to the morgue after being declared dead in the emergency department, it is not registered, and thus no record is kept.”
The day after the fall of the Awami government, on Tuesday, August 6, Brigadier General Dr. Md. Asaduzzaman, the director of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, told Bonik Barta, “Some victims died shortly after arriving at the hospital, while some were brought dead here. In some cases, several bodies brought to the hospital were taken away by the protesters without registration or autopsy.”
Protesters believe that a precise list of those killed and injured during the anti-discrimination movement is necessary. They also had this demand for the interim government. When asked, Hasib Al Islam, a coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, told Bonik Barta, “We want a list to be published to the public as soon as possible. We are also cooperating with the government in this regard. Additionally, a list is being prepared on behalf of the students and the public. Many details about those killed in the nationwide genocide after internet connections were shut down on July 18 are still unknown. We hope everything will eventually come to light.”
The chairman of the inter-ministerial committee formed by the government to prepare a list of casualties, former Senior Secretary of the Health Services Division Muhammad Humayun Kabir, told Bonik Barta, “Many are asking when the list will be ready. We are working on it. There is a lot to do. We want to make an accurate list. There is not much difficulty in compiling the list of injured or hospitalized patients. However, little more than names are available for many of the deceased. We are receiving information only on bodies that were brought to hospitals and those who died while receiving treatment. Private hospitals are also providing information, but it’s very limited.”
Humayun Kabir stated that various methods would be used to verify and review the list of the deceased, adding, “We are receiving information now. We will verify and review them afterward. We are cautious about verifying information on bodies not brought to hospitals. Coordinators are helping us in this matter.”