Death toll reaches 197 as CU student dies under treatment

Till Tuesday, there have been reports of 197 deaths in clashes all over the country including Dhaka. In a latest report, Chittagong University (CU) student Hridoy Chandra Tarua, 22, succumbed to his injuries and died yesterday, Tuesday, while undergoing treatment at Dhaka medical College Hospital. He had been shot in Chittagong on Thursday. Another person died at Enam Medical College Hospital in Savar.

News of eight more deaths was gathered yesterday. This includes five at the Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital and two at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital in Dhaka. Another died at Savar's Enam Medical College Hospital.

The news of these deaths were gathered from certain hospitals, the persons who brought in the dead bodies, and from sources among the relatives of the deceased. The picture of all hospitals was not received.

According to information received so far, six died on 16 July (Tuesday), 41 on Thursday, 84 Friday, 38 Saturday, 21 on Sunday, five on Monday and two yesterday, Tuesday. The deaths on Monday and Tuesday happened while the persons were undergoing treatment.

Sources at the Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital said that 17 injured persons had been admitted there on 19 July (Friday). Three died on that day. On 20 July (Saturday), 10 more were admitted and two died on the same day.

Speaking to Prothom Alo on Friday night, director of Dhaka's Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, Shafiur Rahman, said it cannot be ascertained exactly how many dead bodies were brought it, but it will be over 10. The next day he said that another dead body had been brought in.

A visit to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital yesterday saw a total of 13 bodies had been taken there. Previously the hospital records had said 11, now the number of dead has risen by two more.

Speaking to Prothom Alo yesterday, the hospital director Shafiur Rahman said that it had not been possible to carry out autopsies on the bodies as the situation did not permit.

In the meantime, readymade garment factory worker Shubho Shil, 24, died at Enam Medical College Hospital in Savar yesterday morning. He had been admitted there on Saturday.

Another person, Faruk, 45, had been admitted with bullet injuries the next day, Sunday. He died yesterday (Tuesday). He lived in Savar. Superintendent of Enam Medical College Hospital in Savar, Md Yusuf, confirmed the information to Prothom Alo.

No official account is available of the total number of deaths and injuries.

Speaking to journalists while visiting injured members of the police force at the Rajarbagh Central Police Hospital on Monday, home minister Asaduzzaman Khan said three members of the police and one ansar were killed in the violence. And 1,117 members of the police had been injured. Of then, 132 were in a critical state. Three are in ICU.

On the same day home minister Asaduzzaman Khan held a press briefing at his residence. Replying to journalists' questions about whether the government had any record of how many had died and were injured in total, he simply gave figures of the deaths and injuries of the police and ansar members.

Bangladesh Ansar and VDP public relations wing yesterday, Tuesday, said that ansar member Md. Jewel Sheikh, 22, had been killed. He was from Modhukhali, Faridpur. He had been attached to the Motijheel police station. His death had been recorded previously and so is not being added anew.

Hospital sources say, the dead persons include infants, children, students, youth and women. Most of the bodies bore marks of bullet wounds. Some had died of injuries. Many of the injured were hit by a spray of bullets and rubber bullets in the eyes and other parts of their bodies.

The Chittagong University Student Hridoy, who died while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College yesterday, Tuesday, was from Patuakhali. His fellow students say that he had been returning from giving tuition, when he got caught in the clashes and was shot.

Hridoy is the only son of Ratan Chandra Tarua and Archana Rani. He has one sister. Ratan Chandra is a carpenter. Speaking to Prothom Alo over mobile phone, he said he had so many dreams for his son, that he would get a job after completing his studies and help running their poverty stricken family. But one bullet put an end to all those dreams.

Clashes broke out all over the country on 16 July centering the quota reform movement. The agitation spread. The clashes mostly took place in and around Dhaka.

On 17 July mobile internet was shut down all over the country. The next day broadband internet was shut down too. From 12:00 midnight on 19 July nationwide curfew was declared. The armed forces were deployed.

Researchers say, other than during the liberation war, never before have so many people been killed in clashes over such a short span of time. There is no full-fledged record of exactly how many have been killed and injured.

Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Kamal Uddin, speaking to Prothom Alo on Tuesday, said there needs to be a record of how many people were killed and injured. The matter will surely be taken up by the judicial inquiry committee formed by the government.

He said, the national human rights commission would look into whether there has been human rights violations in the overall incidents.