Student-people’s movement: Children’s death count rises to 89

At least 89 infants and children have been killed during the violence and attacks centering the movement for quota reforms in government jobs and the demonstrations demanding resignation of the government, according to the latest count.

On 18 August Prothom Alo had reported the death of 70 infants and children.

Some of the children whose deaths have been added to the records died while undergoing treatment at hospital, and information of some of the deaths was found later.

According to Prothom Alo, 758 persons died during the student-people’s uprising and later. Of this, 341 died between 16 July to 3 August. And 417 died between 4 to 14 August.

The infants and children died from pellets and bullets when the law enforcement agencies opened fire to suppress the demonstrations, from attacks and firing of Awami League leaders and activists and also in fire and attacks after the fall of the government.

Most of the young teens who were killed had taken part in the demonstrations. But some of the infants and the children were killed while playing in their own homes or on the roofs of their homes, watching the demonstrations, and even in victory processions with their parents.

Shahriar Khan Anas (16), a student of Class 10 at Gandaria Ideal High School in Old Dhaka left a letter at home on 5 August, saying that he was going to join the movement. He wrote, “Ma, I am going to join the processions. I cannot stay back. Rather than staying at home like a coward, it is much better to join the struggle and be shot dead like a hero.”

Anas was shot dead on 5 August at Chankarpool in the capital city. His father Sharia Khan handed over the letter to Prothom Alo, saying, let the people know about Anas. How much patriotism it takes to prepare oneself and leave home!

According to the Children Act 2013, anyone under 18 years of age is considered a child. From the information Prothom Alo had received all the deaths, it has been seen that 89 of the killed are infants and children.

A review of hospital records and information from relatives, it has been found that the bodies of 79 of these children had pellet and lethal bullet wounds. And 9 of the children died in fire set to buildings and vehicles. One child died of injuries received from the splinters of sound grenades.

The youngest of the children who were killed was Abdul Ahad (4). He hadn’t even begun going to school. On 20 July he was with his mother and father in the verandah of their eighth-floor flat in Rayerbagh watching the demonstrations when a bullet hit him and he died. There are two little girls among those who died too. They are Riya Gope (6) of Narayanganj and Naima Sultana (15) of Uttara. Riya was shot while on the roof of her house and Naima was shot in her verandah.

Badiul Alam Majumdar, president of the National Girl Child Advocacy Forum and secretary of Shashashoner Jonno Nagorik (SHUJAN) termed the killings to suppress the agitation as the most despicable and inhuman crime. Speaking to Prothom Alo, he said that bullets were fired at people to create panic. It is essential to include these incidents as crimes against humanity and ensure stern punishment to those responsible. The government must stand by the families of the killed and the wounded.

The first death that took place centering the movement for quota reforms in government jobs took place on 16 July. Six were killed on that day. There were no children among them. The first incident of any child being killed was on 18 July. From that day till 4 August, there were at least 56 children. The Awami League government fell on 5 August. From that day till 11 August, at least 33 more children were killed, it has been learnt.

A review of the deaths shows that 57 of the children were killed in Dhaka (including Savar and Tongi). Outside of Dhaka 32 had died.

Of the children killed, 42 were students. 29 of the children were involved in labour. Some of them worked in shops, some were footpath vendors, some were garments factory workers, and some were construction workers or hawkers. The identity of four children remains unknown. Their bodies were lying at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital. The profession of the remaining 17 children was not known. One child (Ahad) hadn’t started going to school yet.

Md Mostafa Zaman Samudra (16) of Rampura in the capital has passed this SSC this year. He joined the demonstrations on 19 July. He was hit in the chest by a bullet and died. His father Moniruzzaman Tajal told Prothom Alo they had no idea that Samudra had joined the protests. Later they learnt from friends that he had been joining the demonstrations from 16 July.

Moniruzzaman said, “Victory has been won, but my son never got to see it.”

Never have so many people died in any movement or agitation in Bangladesh. Never before have so many children been killed.

Senior lawyer of the Supreme Court Sara Hossain has stressed the need to place priority on justice for the children killed during the student’s movement. She told Prothom Alo, videos of the killing of the many of the children have been recorded on people’s mobile phones. Many of these videos have gone viral on social media. These incidents can be proved  by scrutinising these videos, gathering information collected, witnesses and other evidence. She said, rather than waiting for the bereaved families, the state should come forward to file cases, even if just one or two. This will give people confidence.

Sara Hossain said, if cases are filed in a scattered matter against those who ordered the killing and other such powerful people, there is the fear that these cases will simply drag on. However, those who ordered the killings in no way can be left off the hook.