Amid joy of change, pain from bullet wounds lingers

While people are celebrating political change in Bangladesh, many continue to suffer from bullet wounds at hospitals where the atmosphere in hospitals is heavy with the grief of the victims' families.

Over the past three days, more than a hundred gunshot victims have received treatment in three wards of the Casualty Block at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). On Monday alone, 376 injured individuals were admitted, with 56 being hospitalised.

Nurses on duty have reported that currently, 58 patients are being treated in Ward 101, 38 in Ward 102, and 12 in Ward 103.

As of 8pm today, 20 deaths have been recorded at DMCH, according to the Emergency Department's death register. These fatalities resulted from violence in various areas of the capital, such as Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Jatrabari, Kawran Bazar, and Hatirjheel, as well as in districts like Gazipur and Narayanganj.

The death register indicates that the deceased include police officers, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel, students, and civilians. Additionally, the identities of five of the deceased remain unknown to the hospital authorities.

The medical college authorities have also recorded 41 deaths on Monday.

Sharif Hossain, a 24-year-old mason from the Signboard area, was shot in the right side of his chest while returning home for a meal on Monday afternoon. He is married with a three-year-old daughter and his wife, Sumi Akter, is pregnant.

Sumi Akter told The Business Standard, "After Sharif was shot, a CNG driver brought him to DMCH. I saw on Facebook that my husband was hospitalised with gunshot wounds. The doctors have now operated and removed the bullet. I'm just glad he survived; I don't understand much about the change."

Sharif Hossain said, "I'm happy to hear that Sheikh Hasina has fled, but that doesn't lessen the pain from the bullet wounds in my body. My situation is dire, and bearing the cost of treatment is a burden. I hope the change brings results that we also benefit from."

Nearby, 30-year-old unemployed Mahfuzur Rahman is receiving treatment. He was shot in the back in Jatrabari on Monday morning and, despite surgery, the bullet remains in his body.

He said, "I couldn't continue my studies due to financial issues after completing my SSC. I learned AC repair in between, but now I'm unemployed. I was also part of the protest, but was shot while trying to escape from the police."

Sixteen-year-old Md Abdullah was shot in Jatrabari on the same day. His mother, Minara Begum, said, "I told him not to go out that day, but he left anyway. Later, we were informed by neighbours that Abdullah had been shot in the left leg. Will the new government do anything for us?"

In Ward 103, 22-year-old Jibon Mia, a shoemaker, was shot twice in the head in the Ganabhaban area before Sheikh Hasina's departure.

Jibon's father, Jamaluddin, said, "His condition is very serious. The doctors have removed the bullets, but he is still in danger. I was excited to hear about Sheikh Hasina's flight, but then I found out about my son's condition. I'm now lost and struggling each day."

At 12:15pm today, TBS visited Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital seeking information on casualties from the 5 August and 6 August protests. Emergency department staff could not provide information and directed the journalist to hospital director Shafiur Rahman, who was not present. His personal officer could not confirm if he would return that day.

At the National Institute of Neuro Sciences and Hospital, a nurse reported that a person had died yesterday, but no details were available in the death register as of 11:50am. The deceased was admitted on 4 or 5 August, she said.

Hasan Mahbub, a doctor of the hospital, said that many patients were admitted, mostly with gunshot wounds, but there were also cases of head injuries.

According to a nurse, a total of 89 patients were admitted on 5 August due to the protests, with 19 being hospitalised. Among these, two are known to have died. Additionally, five patients who were admitted on 4 August died on 5 August.

A police officer with a head injury was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday.

In Uttara, 23 bodies were reported to have arrived at three hospitals on Monday. Doctors from various government and private hospitals said that gunfire from a microbus in front of Jasimuddin Road and subsequent violence led to several injuries and deaths. Bodies and injured individuals were also brought from Tongi and Gazipur.

Uttara Modern Medical College Hospital received four bodies on Monday. Among the deceased were 14-year-old Saniya Anjum Noor and 35-year-old Sujon, who were shot in Tongi. Mohammad Setu, 32, was shot in Uttara Sector 14, and Saiful Islam, 48, was shot in Dakkhinkhan. Additionally, 41 gunshot victims were admitted to this hospital on the same day.

Major (Retd) Md Hafizul Islam, deputy director of Uttara Modern Medical College Hospital, told TBS, "We have treated many gunshot victims. Besides, some received initial treatment."

At Kuwait Bangladesh Friendship Government Hospital, nine bodies were received on Monday, along with 84 injured patients. However, Dr Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, the hospital's superintendent, declined to provide a list of the deceased, citing a lack of government permission.

Uttara Crescent Hospital treated 40 patients on Monday and received a total of 10 bodies. Six of the deceased were handed over to their families, while four unidentified bodies were sent to Dhaka Medical College.