Rickshaw puller's death in July uprising: Citizens' Committee demands immediate release of jailed doctor, hospital staff
The National Citizens' Committee has demanded the immediate release of five individuals, a doctor and four employees of Delta Health Care Hospital, who were sent to jail over alleged medical negligence in treating rickshaw puller Ismail who was shot dead during the July uprising.
In a statement issued today (19 January), the committee also urged the authorities concerned to "arrest and prosecute the real perpetrators" behind the rickshaw puller's death.
"We have learned that Ismail's wife Lucky Begum filed a case with Hatirjheel Police Station on 7 September 2024 against 51 people, including former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner Habibur Rahman. All of the 51 accused are leaders and activists of Awami League, Chhatra League and other organisations.
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"The complaint also mentions that Ismail could not receive treatment due to the bullets fired by the accused in the case. Lucky Begum did not accuse doctors, nurses or anyone related to healthcare anywhere in her complaint," reads the statement.
After a photo of Rickshaw puller Ismail lying on the hospital stairs went viral on social media recently, the police arrested Delta Health Care Hospital's Medical Officer Dr Sadi Bin Shams, Marketing Officer Hasan Mia, maintenance staff Borhan Uddin, and security guards Ismail and Nazim Uddin. A Dhaka court rejected their bail applications and ordered to send them to jail yesterday.
"However, we have come to know that when the officials and employees of Delta Health Care tried to bring the bullet-injured person to the hospital for treatment, law enforcers opened fire towards them. A bullet pierced the Punjabi of a doctor on duty and hit the wall of the hospital, the marks of which are still there.
"The law enforcers threatened them with weapons and removed the body. Later, the body was handed over to the family," the committee said in the statement.
The Citizens' Committee expressed deep concern that the police have arrested and imprisoned "innocent" doctors and health workers instead of arresting the main culprits.
