In the tumultuous aftermath of the quota reform movement, clashes and violence resulted in the deaths of over five hundred people across the country. According to data from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), 71 percent of these deaths occurred before the victims could reach the hospital. The highest number of such fatalities was recorded in the Dhaka Division, with 171 deaths.
This figure was obtained solely through an analysis of registered deaths at government hospitals. Information on those who died in private hospitals was not included. Additionally, several deaths in government hospitals went unregistered because, in some cases, relatives took the bodies away before they could be officially recorded.
The DGHS reported that from July 15 to August 12, it collected data on casualties from district, sub-district, medical college, and specialized hospitals across the country. The analysis revealed that 407 people lost their lives in connection with the anti-discrimination student movement nationwide. Of these, 290 people, or 71.25 percent of the total deaths, died before reaching the hospital (referred to as “brought dead”). Another 117 died after being admitted to the hospital or while receiving treatment.
DGHS data further indicated that during the same period, approximately 18,500 people were injured in incidents related to the movement. 10,576 people were injured in the Dhaka Division alone, of which 238 people died. Out of these deaths, 171 occurred en route to the hospital. The Chattogram Division reported 48 deaths, of which 39 occurred before reaching the hospital. Additional deaths en route to the hospital were recorded in Khulna (26), Sylhet (21), Rangpur (13), Mymensingh (9), Rajshahi (9), and Barishal (2).
In terms of total fatalities, Khulna followed Chattogram with 35 deaths. Rangpur reported 26 deaths, while both Rajshahi and Sylhet reported 23 deaths each. Mymensingh recorded 12 deaths, and Barishal reported 2.
In terms of injuries, Chattogram recorded the highest number after Dhaka, with 1,932 people injured. Other regions reported the following injury numbers: Barishal (1,442), Rangpur (1,213), Rajshahi (997), Sylhet (995), Khulna (975), and Mymensingh (446).
Officials from the DGHS stated that they had requested information from private hospitals as well, but none provided any data. Senior officials from three specialized hospitals in the capital noted that not all deaths at government hospitals were recorded. Speaking to Bonik Barta on condition of anonymity, a senior official from the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) stated, “The death data in the hospital’s records is not accurate. Only half of the bodies brought to the hospital could be sent to the morgue. The relatives who brought the bodies were so agitated that proper communication was impossible. The names and addresses of the deceased were unknown. As soon as the patients were declared dead, the agitated crowd took the bodies away.”
He added, “In some cases, it was possible to issue a death certificate; in others, the bodies were taken away from the emergency room’s entrance door. If a body is not sent to the morgue after being declared dead in the emergency department, it is not registered. As a result, it is not counted in the official record.”
The highest number of dead bodies in the capital was brought to DMCH, Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, and Sir Salimullah Medical College & Mitford Hospital. During the movement, many cases of unregistered deaths were observed at these hospitals.
On the day after the fall of the Awami League-led government (August 6), Brigadier General Dr. Md. Asaduzzaman, director of DMCH, told Bonik Barta, “Some of the injured individuals died soon after arriving at our facility. Additionally, some were brought dead. If someone dies at our facility or is brought in already deceased, we store the body in the morgue. In cases involving police matters—since all student movement cases are police cases—the bodies are handed over to the police, and an autopsy is conducted at the forensic department of the medical college. Afterward, the bodies are returned to the families. Some bodies were taken by relatives without registration or autopsy, making it difficult to keep accurate records.”
Meanwhile, the DGHS stated that the government is working to collect comprehensive data on casualties. An inter-ministerial committee has already been formed to compile a list of those injured or deceased. The committee will investigate and compile a list of all deaths in both government and private hospitals.
Dr. Abu Hussain Md. Moinul Ahsan, Director (Hospital and Clinics) at the DGHS, told Bonik Barta, “A 13-member committee, chaired by former Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Muhammad Humayun Kabir, has been formed. The committee has begun its work. We expect to obtain complete information. No data will be omitted. The committee includes representatives from the Division of Health Services, the anti-discrimination student movement, the Cabinet Division, the Division of Health Education and Family Welfare, the Finance Division, the Division of Public Safety, the Ministry of Social Welfare, the Division of Secondary and Higher Education, the Division of Technical and Madrasa Education, the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, the Directorate General of Health Services, and the Directorate General of Medical Education.”