[🇧🇩] Those who are injured during student revolution

[Saif]

We shouldn't use July-August victims for our own political interests: Nahid

July Shaheed Smriti Foundation today distributed financial assistances among the persons who were injured during the students-people mass uprising

en.prothomalo.com

We shouldn't use July-August victims for our own political interests: Nahid
BSS
Updated: 13 Oct 2024, 23: 06

Posts, telecommunications and information technology adviser Md Nahid Islam handed over the cheques of the financial assistances from the foundation to the wounded persons at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH)BSS

July Shaheed Smriti Foundation today distributed financial assistances among the persons who were injured during the students-people mass uprising.

Posts, telecommunications and information technology adviser Md Nahid Islam handed over the cheques of the financial assistances from the foundation to the wounded persons at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), said a ministry press release.

Nahid Islam, also the adviser of the ministry of information and broadcasting, said financial assistances are being given to the victims of the movement from the July Shaheed Smriti Foundation and it is ongoing.

About the treatment of the injured in abroad, he said that necessary measures will be taken as per the advice of the concerned doctors. He also said that they will bear the expenses for those who have received treatment in different places before coming to the DMCH.

Replying to a query regarding the case filed against the journalists, the adviser, however, said that those who were directly associated with the fascist government, as well as worked as instigators and supported the genocide will be brought under trial.

"Apart from this, a committee has been formed under the ministry of information and broadcasting to look into the matter if any case is filed against someone unfairly," he said.

He added, "If any journalist or his/her family feel that they are suffering due to the case, they can contact with us, we will help them."

On the cases of injured and victims, the adviser said a legal team is working in this regard, adding, "We will hold trial in the Special Tribunal".

Mentioning the martyred and injured during the mass-uprising as the heroes of the country, he said, "Let’s (we) recognize their sacrifice . . . we're requesting that we don't divide the martyrs and the wounded persons into any party or banner. We shouldn't use them for our own political interests."

During his visit at the DMCH, injured Jamal Hussain requested the adviser to arrange monthly allowance for the elderly persons and employment for the youths.

Answering to a query about the cases are being filed against the agitators in different places, youth and sports adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain said that the ministry of home affairs will soon taken necessary measures to this regard. Any police personnel, involved in killing of agitators, wouldn't be spared, he added.

Both the advisers inquired about the current condition of the injured persons who are taking treatment in the hospital and assured them of giving their support.

July Shaheed Smriti Foundation secretary Mir Mahbubur Rahman Snigdha presented to the journalists the details of the financial assistances given to the injured from the Foundation.

Today, a total of Taka 1,22,64,400 has been distributed to 122 persons. Among them, 23 out of 30 people, receiving treatment at DMCH, have been given a cheque of Taka 100,000 each, while remaining seven persons have been given the money through bKash wallet due to incompletion of their names.

Besides, cash assistance has also been sent to the bKash wallet of 33 people receiving treatment at the National Institute of Ophthalmology, while 59 people at the National Orthopeadic Hospital and Rehabilitation Institute.

So far, a total of Take 1,71,42,050 has been given to 176 injured people from the July Shaheed Smriti Foundation.​

 

[Saif]

Treatment of protesters' injured eyes

Although the number of deaths during the quota-reform movement is yet to be finalised, it has been put at around 800 so far. The number of the injured is many times more. Some of those receiving treatment in hospitals are dying now. This is because not all of them have sustained the same degree of

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Treatment of protesters' injured eyes
Published :
Oct 14, 2024 21:59
Updated :
Oct 14, 2024 21:59

Although the number of deaths during the quota-reform movement is yet to be finalised, it has been put at around 800 so far. The number of the injured is many times more. Some of those receiving treatment in hospitals are dying now. This is because not all of them have sustained the same degree of injuries. Many of them may survive the bullet wounds but are fated to get maimed for life. Their legs or hands had to be amputated to save their lives. The interim government has announced that it would take the responsibility of the cost of their medical treatment. Then why the newspapers have to carry reports of helplessness facing families of those injured during the movement for the latter's medical care is really incomprehensible. It appears that a comprehensive plan and coordination are lacking in this regard despite the fact that monetary support is being extended from the Shahid Smriti Foundation to both martyred and injured.

However, the protesters who sustained injuries to their eyes have received better attention courtesy of China. A 10-member team of eye specialists from China arrived in Bangladesh on September 22. They visited the National Ophthalmology Institute and Hospital the next day to check with all 42 protesters with eye injury admitted there. A highly positive development is that an arrangement was made for all protesters injured in the eyes to see both local and Chinese eye specialists between October 5 and October 7. Before this, the Chinese eye consultants duly checked with the types of eye injury, the treatment the patients had received and the progress of their recovery, if any. They have made it clear that those among the injured requiring particularly specialised treatment would be taken abroad for the required medical care.

This is more than just a gesture of goodwill. It is not clear if the patients will be taken to China or any other country for better treatment. Neither is it reported if China wants to treat the patients free of cost. A Google search reveals that China does not rank among the six nations at the forefront of ophthalmology. But its system should be more advanced than that of Bangladesh. Whatever may be the case, the prompt response to this health crisis here from the Chinese eye specialists comes out of a sense of humanitarian emergency not many nations have been very particular about.

Let the protesters facing the threat of losing their eyesight be given the best of care available in the world. If China can accomplish the job, the victims of police firing and members of their families will ever remain grateful to that country. It will prove the old adage 'a friend in need is a friend indeed'. But in case, restoring eyesight calls for still more sophisticated and advanced eye care, the best option is the United States of America, frontrunner in eye care. Next come Germany, South Korea and India, Thailand and Japan in order. Options for treatment in those countries can as well be explored. After all it is a humanitarian cause and no country should prioritise its commercial interests over the service to the humanity. Here is a special issue of courage, dedication and sacrifice that prompted the young protesters to fight for a just cause and they deserve national and international support and help for getting their eyesight back.​

 

[Saif]

Govt to stand by those injured in mass uprising: health adviser

Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum today said the government will stand by the injured in the anti-discrimination student movement to ensure their treatment and rehabilitation

www.thedailystar.net

Govt to stand by those injured in mass uprising: health adviser

Photo: Collected

Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum today said the government will stand by the injured in the anti-discrimination student movement to ensure their treatment and rehabilitation.

The adviser said this while addressing a press briefing after the cornea transplant surgery of Israfil and Anik, two injured in the anti-discrimination student movement at the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital.

During the visit, Nurjahan inquired about the treatment of the injured at the eye hospital and visited different wards.

She also talked with the families of Israfil and Anik.

Highly sensitive corneal tissue was brought to Bangladesh by the Sheba Foundation from the US, and Nepal for cornea transplantation in the eyes of two patients injured in the anti-discrimination student movement.

Earlier, the Sheba Foundation assured to provide 40 corneas. In continuation of this, for the first time, the cornea of the eyes of two people injured in the movement was transplanted.

The health adviser said, "We have to try to treat the injured in the anti-discrimination movement and lift them from the trauma they are going through.

"The director of the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital Prof Dr Khair Ahmed Chowdhury, and other doctors of the hospital were present, among others.​

 

[Saif]

Thai medical team arrives in Dhaka to treat injured victims of July uprising

A medical team from Thailand arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday to provide treatment to individuals injured during the July uprising. The visit comes weeks after a Chinese medical team assisted severely injured patients in major government hospitals. Many of those injured in July are still receiving car

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Thai medical team arrives in Dhaka to treat injured victims of July uprising
FE ONLINE REPORT
Published :
Oct 30, 2024 20:23
Updated :
Oct 30, 2024 20:34

A medical team from Thailand arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday to provide treatment to individuals injured during the July uprising. The visit comes weeks after a Chinese medical team assisted severely injured patients in major government hospitals. Many of those injured in July are still receiving care at various hospitals.

Earlier, Vejthani Hospital of Bangkok expressed interest in providing free medical consultations to the seriously injured patients. In line with this, a team of six, including three doctors from the hospital, visited patients at the National Orthopedic Hospital and Rehabilitation Institute (NITOR) and the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital (NINS) in Dhaka.

Dr Kazi Shamim Uzzaman, Director of NITOR, said that the Thai medical team examined all 57 patients admitted there, focusing on 15 individuals with severe nerve and joint injuries.

The team's plan for nerve injury patients involves a wait-and-observe approach with regular check-ups and further surgery to be determined based on subsequent evaluations. For the remaining patients, the Thai team concurred with the ongoing treatment protocol.

At NINS, joint director Dr Md Badrul Alam said that the team examined seven seriously injured patients there.

The medical team is expected to provide a detailed report on each patient's condition on Thursday. Additionally, they expressed satisfaction with the overall treatment being provided at the hospitals.​

 

[Saif]

Rehabilitation of injured in mass uprising stressed

People from different professional groups on Friday called for an immediate beginning of a long-term rehabilitation process for the people injured during the July-August mass uprising, which arose...

www.newagebd.net

Rehabilitation of injured in mass uprising stressed
Staff Correspondent 09 November, 2024, 01:29

Architect Mubasshar Hussain Foundation holds an event titled Introduction Ceremony of Volunteers Helping the Injured at the SEL Centre in the capital’s Panthapath on Friday. | New Age photo

People from different professional groups on Friday called for an immediate beginning of a long-term rehabilitation process for the people injured during the July-August mass uprising, which arose from student protests demanding quota reform in government jobs.

They, in the event titled ‘Introduction Ceremony of Volunteers Helping the Injured’, also urged the creation of a central database to ensure the proper rehabilitation of around 30,000 injured individuals.

The event was organised by the Architect Mubasshar Hussain Foundation with the help of The Structural Engineers Limited at SEL Center in the capital’s Panthapath area.

Saiduddin Mohammad Emdad, an organiser of Raktim July Chabbish—an organisation led by several individuals injured in the July-August mass uprising—emphasised the need for genuine rehabilitation efforts for the injured people, rather than simply offering donations.

Saiduddin, who was shot at on August 4 during the movement, said, ‘The state is not doing enough for the injured people, who are facing numerous challenges including depression and financial hardships.’

The speakers observed that the interim government is not giving sufficient priority to the injured individuals.

Barrister Sara Hossain, honorary executive director of Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust, emphasised the importance of documenting the experiences of the injured ones, noting that these accounts would serve as valuable testimony.

She also stressed the need to address human rights violations that occurred during the movement while the Awami League was in power.

Thirteen volunteer organisations that supported the people injured in the July-August mass uprising were awarded with honorary certificates as a token of appreciation.

Bishwa Sahitya Kendra founder and chairman Abdullah Abu Sayeed was, among others, also present at the event.​

 

[Saif]

Long-term rehab plan needed for injured protesters

THE government has expressed its commitment to medical and socio-economic support for protesters wounded in the July-August uprising. It has also taken some steps in this...

www.newagebd.net

Long-term rehab plan needed for injured protesters
10 November, 2024, 00:00

THE government has expressed its commitment to medical and socio-economic support for protesters wounded in the July-August uprising. It has also taken some steps in this direction. A number of platforms of volunteers working with the injured at an event in Dhaka on November 8, however, expressed their concern about the delay in treatment and financial support for protesters. While the government is busy examining the list of injured, at least 587 had to go through amputation and 685 people have been fully or partially blinded by shotgun pellets that law enforcers used to quell the uprising. An injured victim, also a member of Raktim July Chabbish, a platform of the victims of the July uprising, reports having faced major mismanagement in accessing health care. He also notes that the government support is not accessible to all, especially those living outside Dhaka, who do not have the digital literacy to access information circulated on social network. The government should, therefore, devise a long-term treatment and rehabilitation plan for the injured protesters at the earliest.

Volunteers, injured protesters and the families have, therefore, put forth the demands. The committee under the health ministry that coordinates the treatment and enlistment process has recently announced a hotline number that the injured can use to access related information. Many injured victims, especially with working class backgrounds, report that they have to wait too long on the phone or call a number of times to access the telephone service. Many, who returned home after their initial treatment, talked about their economic struggle for follow-up treatment in Dhaka. Without a publicly supported shelter for the injured seeking treatment in public hospitals, some have reported spending nights at bus stands or on hospital verandas. A large number of the injured are rickshaw-pullers, restaurant workers, industrial workers or roadside vendors and in their cases, their concern is not limited to medical treatment. Their family’s economic survival is also at stake. They have talked about their struggle to keep a roof over their head or pay for their children’s tuition as they have not earned for more than three months. Some injured protesters have already manifested post-traumatic stress disorder, which is left unattended.


It is high time that the government drew up a thorough plan on how to support and acknowledge people’s contribution to the uprising and make it public. The priority task for the government is to make a list of all deceased and injured in the protests under the Awami League regime and ensure emergency and long-term economic support for them. The government should also ensure equal access to treatment for all injured protesters. The government should consider forming a task force involving national and international experts with experience dealing with similar violent situations to ensure the best possible health care.​

 

[Saif]

July uprising injured vow to continue protest at NITOR

Demand key advisers meet them to listen to their demands for better treatment

www.thedailystar.net

July uprising injured vow to continue protest at NITOR
Better treatment, quick release of funds demanded

Photo: Rashed Sumon A group of protesters, injured during the July uprising, stage a sit in at the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR), where they are currently being treated.

A group of protesters who were injured during the July mass uprising and are now undergoing treatment, were blocking the road in front of the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR) till midnight, demanding proper treatment.

They also demanded quick release of funds from the July Smriti Foundation for all the victims.

The protests began after Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum went to the hospital to visit them. She had to leave NITOR in a different vehicle after her car was blocked.

Accompanied by British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke, she went there around 11:30am.

When the two were leaving the hospital after talking to a few patients, the other injured victims gathered outside and blocked the adviser's car on the hospital premises, witnesses said.

Some lay in front of the vehicle, while others climbed onto it.

The protocol officers pushed them away during the protests, they alleged.

In response to the situation, the health adviser left in another vehicle. The UK high commissioner also had to leave the hospital in a different car.

The injured protesters – some with bandages on their hands, legs or eyes and others in wheelchairs or with crutches – then left the hospital and blocked the adjacent road.

They declared they would not clear the road until the health adviser met everyone.

They also expressed frustration over not receiving the promised compensation of Tk 100,000 each.

Confirming the incident, Ziaul Haque, additional deputy commissioner of Tejgaon Division Police, said the adviser had left safely and her car was not damaged.

As of filing this report around 1:00am today, the protesters were still on the road.

Around 10:30pm, Hasnat Abdullah, convenor of the Anti-Discrimination Students' Movement, which spearheaded the July uprising, and Mir Mahbubur Rahman Snigdho, general secretary of the July Smriti Foundation and brother of slain student protester Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdho, went to the spot to talk to the protesters.

They said they found many of the injured were not protesters of the movement and were Awami League supporters, adding that the foundation was working to verify and crosscheck the list properly and this was why many of the victims did not yet receive their compensation.

Hasnat mentioned that the health adviser is a cancer patient, and her newly appointed assistant Prof Sayedur Rahman, former BSMMU vice chancellor, may be able to visit instead.

However, the protesters said they will remain on the street, whether they lose another limb or not, until the advisers come back and talk to them all, and ensure proper treatment and the disbursement of funds.

One protester said he wants the resignation of the health adviser.

Meanwhile, the hospital authorities said those injured in the July uprising were being given the highest priority. Special wards and food have been designated for them.

Shahidul Islam, 19, a protester who was wounded by bullets and is now being treated on the second floor of the hospital, said the adviser and others arrived at the hospital and went to the third floor, where they talked to only a few of the injured.

"There are at least 42 of us receiving treatment on the second floor but the adviser was leaving the hospital without visiting us."

Upon hearing the news, the other injured July protesters, who are being treated at nearby hospitals, joined the protests as well.

At one stage, military personnel stationed near the hospital requested them to return to the hospital.

However, Md Masum, seated in a wheelchair, said they would not leave until the health adviser returned to meet them. "After three long months, she finally comes here but chooses to neglect us."

Expressing his grievances, Masum said, "She became an adviser over our blood. Many of us are yet to receive the promised compensation from the July Foundation."

Al Miraj, an MBA student of IUBAT, was injured in both eyes while protesting in Kakrail on the afternoon of July 19.

He has since been receiving treatment at the National Institute of Ophthalmology & Hospital. "Doctors have said the treatment for my right eye is not available in the country. We took to the street to demand better treatment."

Currently, 84 injured protesters from the uprising are undergoing treatment at NITOR. Two separate wards are dedicated for the them -- one in level-2 and another in level-3, according to hospital officials.

Till date, 21 people have had their hands and legs amputated, while six patients have died.

Shahin Alam, a ninth-grader who was injured on August 5, and receiving treatment at NITOR, was also protesting yesterday.

"I was shot in the left leg and underwent four surgeries in NITOR. The doctor told me to come back after nine months. I don't think I'm getting proper treatment here."

Md Badiuzzaman, deputy director of NITOR, said, medical teams from China and Thailand visited them, and there is a team from the UK who are working to assess their treatment. Until yesterday, 15 people have undergone surgeries.

"Moreover, the foreign medical teams have expressed a great deal of satisfaction with our medical procedures. But it will take a long time for the patients' condition to improve, especially those with nerve injuries … Any claims of us not giving proper treatment are false."

Regarding those who did not receive compensation from July Foundation, he said, "As far as we know, there were some problems with papers of some of the patients, which is why they haven't received the money yet."​

 

[Saif]

Ensure swift disbursement of funds for July victims

Why would the injured need to demand what should be readily given?

www.thedailystar.net

Ensure swift disbursement of funds for July victims
Why would the injured need to demand what should be readily given?

VISUAL: STAR

We are quite troubled to see that a street protest—that too for about 14 hours—had to occur for those injured in the July-August uprising to put the spotlight on their grievances surrounding treatment, promised compensation, and rehabilitation. This is an issue that should not have arisen in the first place. Those who suffered injuries or lost their loved ones during the movement to bring down a fascist regime deserve our gratitude and sincere cooperation, not the frustration of having to fight once more to receive basic support.

Reportedly, a group of injured protesters staged a sit-in in front of the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR) after Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum visited the hospital but apparently met only a few of the injured, triggering angry reactions among others. This led to a prolonged road blockade that stretched into early Thursday. The protesters, later joined by patients from the nearby National Institute of Opthalmology & Hospital (NIOH), were still bearing the scars of the uprising, many with bandages or using crutches or wheelchairs. As well as expressing their grievances, they also called for the resignation of the health adviser. It was only after the intervention of four government advisers late at night that they agreed to return to their hospitals.

It may be recalled that at least 873 individuals lost their lives, and 19,931 were injured, during the uprising. So far, the health authorities have taken various measures to assist the affected and their families. Government hospitals have been providing free treatment, and doctors from abroad have been brought in to address complex injuries. Meanwhile, according to an estimate given by the July Shaheed Smriti Foundation, the families of 200 deceased, and over 500 injured individuals, have received compensation so far.

That means a large number of the victims are still waiting for compensation, even after over three months, while some require advanced treatment which is not possible in local hospitals. These issues coupled with concerns over their rehabilitation have deepened frustrations. The delayed release of funds is apparently due to verification issues as many claimants still needed further documentation. However, Sarjis Alam, general secretary of the foundation, stressed that once the verification process is completed, funds can be released to 500 people every day, and that everyone would get their compensation by December. The government, after Wednesday's protests, also promised to devise a framework for the treatment and rehabilitation of the injured, in consultation with the latter, and implement it by December.

We are encouraged to hear that, but we must urge the authorities to ensure nothing comes in the way of fulfilling these promises. The July victims and their families have already endured unimaginable hardships; it is our duty to ensure they are given the dignity, care, and support they deserve. To meet the deadlines set by the government, it is also vital to streamline these processes to reduce the chances of bureaucratic delays or obstacles.​