Injured at DMCH: The toll of violence on innocent lives

Eleven-year-old Mohammad Alif went out to play football with his friends on a weekend. Suddenly, they heard gunshots, and his friends ran away. As Alif tried to escape, a bullet struck his foot, causing him to fall.

Alif is among the many injured in the clash between protesters and police at Palashbagh Mor in Rampura, Dhaka, last Friday. He is a fourth-grade student at Rampura Ideal School and College.

Currently, Alif is being treated in Ward 101 of Dhaka Medical College Hospital. The attending physician said, "He has a fracture in his foot. It's too early to determine the full extent of the injury. We are monitoring his condition."

Alif's mother, Asma Begum, told The Business Standard, "I knew students were protesting, which is why Alif's school was closed. He stayed home and played football with the neighbourhood kids while I went to work."

Asma and her husband, Kamrul Islam, moved from Char Bahadurpur village in Phulpur upazila, Mymensingh to Ulan Bazar in Rampura, Dhaka, in 2021 for better opportunities. Asma worked as a domestic helper, and Kamrul was a driver. They were doing well with their two children.

Asma was returning home from work when she found out that Alif had been shot in the foot. "Around 2pm, Alif went out to play football with some friends at Palashbagh Mor. When the commotion started, everyone ran, and he tried to escape. That's when he was shot. His toes were hanging."

Asma continued, "People on the street took him to Better Life Hospital. They removed the bullet and then sent him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. I've been here for seven days and have already spent over Tk20,000 in loans."

Lying in his hospital bed, Alif said, "I love playing football, but I haven't been able to walk for the past seven days. I see everyone walking past me, and I really wish I could play and run with my friends again."

In a similar case of suffering, 45-year-old Mostafa Kamal lost an eye due to police firing at Satmatha Railway Market in Bogura on 18 July afternoon. Initially taken to Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital in Bogura, he was later transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Mostafa Kamal, now in Ward 305 of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, said, "When students protested at the gate of the market, the police suddenly started firing. I was standing outside a shop when a bullet hit my right eye. My eye popped out, and the bullet came out through my mouth. I still have occasional bleeding from my eye and mouth."

His son, Rizwan Jannat Riyad, added, "We arrived at Dhaka Medical College Hospital around 2am on Thursday (18 July). We have spent about Tk80,000 so far. We had trouble with money transactions, but our relatives helped us. When we got here, we saw hundreds of people like my father being treated in Ward 305."

By 4pm Thursday (25 July), the death registrar at Dhaka Medical College Hospital reported that two more people had died from injuries sustained in the shootings.

One was 17-year-old Zaman Mia from Nandail upazila in Mymensingh, who was injured in Uttara's Azampur. The other was Zakir Hossain, a 29-year-old tailor from Rayerbagh, who was hurt while crossing the road.

With these two new deaths, the total number of fatalities at Dhaka Medical College Hospital has reached 86. However, doctors and nurses in the emergency department were unable to provide the exact numbers of the injured.

An on-site visit showed that hundreds of people injured in clashes over the past week were being treated on beds and floors.

Several doctors and nurses reported that about 600 people injured by gunfire had sought treatment at the hospital in the last five days. Of these, around 50 have since been discharged.