Quota reform movement: 78pc of killed persons have lethal bullet wounds

Around 78 per cent of the people killed during clashes centering quota reform protests had lethal bullet wounds on their bodies. The majority of them were hit by bullets in the head, chest, back and abdomen. 

A total of 212 deaths were reported so far during the quota reform movement. Analyzing deaths of 175 of them, it was learnt that 137 had wounds of lethal bullets and 22 had wounds from shotgun pellets. Of the remaining victims, bodies of 10 had marks of beating and four died in arson attacks on vehicles and establishments. Two drowned after being chased by the police. 

This information was availed from documents of Dhaka Medical College Hospital and 11 hospitals from Dhaka and Narayanganj. Also, Prothom Alo correspondents of Chattogram, Rangpur, Bogura, Savar, Sylhet, Narayanganj, Narsingdi, Gazipur, Mymensingh, Chandpur, Tangail and Madaripur talked with family members of many victims to ascertain the reasons behind the deaths.

Analysis shows that most of the victims were hit by a single shot of bullet. In some cases, relatives have seen two bullet marks as well. As the victims died in protests, some of them were shot while inside their homes, on balconies and rooftops.

Of the 175 victims analysed by Prothom Alo, a total of 22 were children and teenagers, 103 were between 18 and 29 years old, 27 were from 30 to 39 years of age, 20 were over 40 years. Age of three victims was not found.  

Forty six out of 175 deceased were students, 26 were workers of various shops, hotels and sales centres; 16 were shopkeepers, small traders and hawkers; 14 were daily wagers and from similar professions; 13 were drivers of different vehicles, trucks, rickshaw pullers and drivers assistants, seven were apparel workers, one was a farmer, 23 were job holders and from other professions. Identities of 18 could not be ascertained. Four were police and ansar members and four were journalists. 

Political involvement were found of six of the 175 people. One of them was Bangladesh Chhatra League man; one was Motsyajibi League activist, one Jubo League, one Jubo Dal and one Shibir activist. It can be noted that some of them were students and some were businessmen. They were enlisted in these groups.

The deaths were reported in Dhaka and elsewhere on 16, 18, 19, 20 and 21 July while no information of death was reported on 17 July. Later, many people died while undergoing treatments at hospital.

Allegations of using lethal weapons surfaced against police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel. However, according to the case statements of 34 cases filed by police in Dhaka over a total of 64 deaths, the victims were killed by indiscriminate firing of miscreants and terrorists, not by the law enforcers. Prothom Alo could collect information on 34 cases filed by the police. Analysing those cases, it is found that the statements of these cases are almost identical. Speaking about this to Prothom Alo, DMP’s media and public relations division deputy commissioner Md. Faruk Hossain on Wednesday insisted many infiltrators, including of BNP and Jamaat, and miscreants entered the quota reform movement and carried out criminal activities. Many died in their firing. He added that cases are filed based on primary information. Investigations will reveal who fired the bullets. All the actual criminals will be brought to book.

However, Amnesty International in a statement on 25 July revealed that legal weapons were used illegally to quell the protests. They issued the statement upon verifying three videos of the incidents that took place during the protests. 

Also on 30 July, the Amnesty Internationals’ secretary general Agnes Callamard wrote an open letter addressing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with some observations regarding the killings centering the quota reform movement.

“Our findings point to unlawful use of birdshot against student protesters, dangerous use of tear gas in enclosed student spaces and unrestrained use of lethal firearms, such as AK-pattern assault rifles, by security forces,” she wrote in the letter.

Security analysts say the police generally use hot water, cold water, coloured water, batons, tear gas, sound grenades and rubber bullets to control demonstrations. They use firearms too if necessary.

There are differences between such firearms and rifles. These shotguns cannot shoot and hit at a long distance. The cartridge is filled with tiny balls, pellets. When less powerful shotguns are used to control agitation, people are not killed unless directly hit. Rifle bullets can kill from a distance. This is killing and so rifles are not used against unarmed demonstrators.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, security analyst Brigadier General (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain said the police have Chinese rifles. RAB and BGB have rifles. He said, Bangladesh raises objections because Indian Border Security Force uses lethal weapons. Why are lethal weapons used to suppress demonstrators within the country?    

An analysis of 175 deaths reveals 106 of these victims were killed in Dhaka. Many of the deaths took place in Jatrabari of the capital. Other than that, persons were shot dead in Uttara, Mirpur, Kadamtali, Kafrul, Badda, Bhatara, Rampura, Banasree, New Market, Green Road, Azimpur, Science Lab, Mohammedpur, Paltan, Golapbagh, Hatirjheel, Gopibagh and Sutrapur. Outside of the capital, killings also took place in Narayanganj (17), Narsingdi (16), Savar (8), Chattogram (6), Gazipur (5), Rangpur (5), Mymensingh (4), Madaripur (3), Sylhet (2), Tangail (1), Chandpur (1) and Bogura (1). Prothom Alo’s correspondents on the spots saw directly, and local people also reported, that the police, RAB and BGB profusely opened fire.

Former inspector general of police (IGP) Nur Mohammad on Thursday night, speaking to Prothom Alo, said only after being patient for a long time in controlling agitations and when they have no other choice, can police open fire, but not to kill. They can aim to injure and bring the situation under control. This time it seemed as if the aim was to shoot and kill. Sp many deaths cannot be accepted in any way.

He said, “When I was in police service, we controlled demonstrations too. We used a lot of patience in bringing the situation under control. This time it seems that they were told to shoot. This is an alarming trend.”

Referring to the death of Abu Sayeed, the student of Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur, Nur Mohammad said, he was an innocent person standing with a stick in hand. The police at one point of time simply shot him. This cannot be accepted.

In the afternoon of 17 July, Md Imran had been shot in the head in Daniya-Rasulpur and lay on the street in front of a hospital. Imran’s father is known as Alam Baburchi in the area. Speaking to Prothom Alo, Imran’s mother Jahan Ara Begum said Imran, her only son, died at Dhaka Medical on 18 July. The cause of death on his death certificate was entered as “gunshot injury”.

Four-year-old Abdul Ahad was hit by a bullet on 19 July afternoon in his house at Rayerbagh, Jatrabari. Police and Chhatra League had clashed with the demonstrators on the street below his house. He had been standing in the verandah with his parents watching the events below when suddenly a bullet hit him in the right eye. He was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where he was kept on life support at the ICU and then died the next day.

On 19 July in Jatrabari, a 14-year-old madrasah student Abdullah was shot and killed. A relative saw his body at the Dhaka Medical College morgue. He, unwilling to be named, told Prothom Alo that there were bullets wounds in Abdullah’s legs, arms and waist. His death certificate stated that the cause of death could be ascertained after autopsy.

Mobarak Hossain, a 13-year-old child, was caught up in clashes on 19 July in Green Road of the capital city. A bullet hit him in the head and he died the next day. Speaking to Prothom Alo on 25 July, Mobarak’s brother Ratan said Mobarak had been shot in Green Road that day when he was returning home after delivering milk. Also on Green Road, Md Tito (35) was hit by a bullet on 19 July, Tito’s brother-in-law Saiful Islam informed Prothom Alo. He would live in Green Road.

There had been widespread clashes and firing on 18 to 21 July in Badda. On 19 July an engineer who worked for a private firm, Toufiqul Islam (30), was shot in front of his house in Badda. He died on 21 July after undergoing treatment for two days at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. His post mortem was carried out at the Dhaka Medical College morgue.

A relation of Toufiqul (preferring to remain unnamed), speaking to Prothom Alo in front of the morgue, said Toufiqul has one son and one daughter, both infants.

Other than the deaths, many people have been injured too. A visit to 31 public and private hospitals revealed that 6,703 injured persons had been given treatment in these facilities. These patients had come to hospital from 16 to 22 July. Some had bullet injuries, but there was no records of how many had such injuries.

The National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR) had a clear account of persons with bullet injuries. From 18 July to 22 July, 964 persons with injuries had been admitted to this government hospital. Of them, 239 had received bullet injuries. That means, 24 per cent o the injured coming to the hospital had been wounded by bullets. At least two of them had to have their legs amputated from below the knee. One of them was 27-year-old Zakir Shikder. He told Prothom Alo, “I have been crippled. I have become a burden to my family!”

Many have undergone treatment when pellets and rubber bullets hit their eyes. Some of them are still in hospital. A visit to the National Institute of Ophthalmology, Dhaka Medical College Hospital and the non-government Lions Eye Hospital revealed that 615 persons were treated at these hospitals. Some were injured in one eye, some in both.

Lawyer of the Supreme Court, Shahdeen Malik, speaking on the overall matter to Prothom Alo, said that it is unthinkable, unimaginable that so many people have died in such a few days. The police say that they were killed by miscreants, but that is totally unbelievable.

* This report appeared in the print and online edition of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten for the English edition by Galib Ashraf and Ayesha Kabir