More than 13,000 injured in the uprising

Shameem Mia broke his thigh bone (femur) in police firing on 5 August. Since then, he has undergone treatment at six different government and private hospitals. He is undergoing treatment at the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR) at the moment. The interim government has started preparations to send him abroad for advanced treatment as suggested by specialists.

Shameem Mia was on the streets alongside students during the July mass uprising. The exact number of people injured by indiscriminate gunfire from police and other law enforcement agencies during that time, like Shameem, is still unknown.

According to the latest figures of the management information system (MIS) of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) under the Ministry of Health, the number of injured stands at 13,811. However, the Ordinance on Welfare and Rehabilitation of Families of Martyrs and Fighters of the July Uprising, 2025 states that 12,887 people were injured across the country.

Regardless of the actual number of injured people, more than 300 people like Shameem Mia are still undergoing treatment at hospitals both at home and abroad.

Shameem Mia, 40, is from Nandail of Mymensingh. He worked at a garment factory in Maona of Sreepur upazila in Gazipur, earning Tk 25,000 per month. His wife, Razia, also worked at another factory. Together, their income supported a six-member family, including two daughters and their parents.

Since Shameem was shot on 5 August, his wife has spent her days at the hospital and had to quit her job as a result. Speaking to this correspondent, the couple said they received Tk 200,000 from the July Martyrs’ Memorial Foundation and Tk 100,000 from the government. However, with hospital bills, travel costs, and household expenses over the past year, their debt has now crossed Tk 1 million.

This correspondent spoke to Shameem Mia and his wife Razia at the NITOR on 15 July. Shameem said that around 3:00 pm on 5 August, police opened fire on a procession of hundreds of people on the streets of Maona in Sripur. He was among many who were injured. A bullet pierced through his left thigh. A few students rescued him and took him first to a hospital in Sripur, then to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital. Later, he was brought to Dhaka around 3:00 am.

Shameem said, “There, I ended up falling into the trap of brokers. They first took me to a private hospital in Shyamoli, where I stayed for two days. After that, I went back home.”

Shameem then returned to that private hospital again on 16 August and received treatment there till 21 August. Later, he returned home again and was admitted to Nandail Upazila Health Complex. After receiving treatment there for a few days, he went to a private clinic in Mymensingh town. Following the doctors’ advice there, he came to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). The authorities at Dhaka Medical College then advised him to seek treatment at the NITOR.

Shameem said, “Even after getting admitted, there was no space available in the hospital due to a lack of beds. Two days later, I was admitted to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH), where I underwent surgery on my leg.”

According to official documents, Shameem was admitted to CMH on 30 October. He was discharged nearly a month later, on 29 November. From there, he returned home, but an infection developed in his leg. He was then admitted to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital once again. As there was no improvement in his leg even after a month, the doctors referred him to the NITOR. He was admitted there on 3 March and has been staying there since then.

Shameem said that six inches of bone from his thigh had to be removed. A physician treating him told Prothom Alo that the delay in treatment, lack of proper care, and repeated infections had complicated his condition. He will now be sent abroad for advanced medical treatment.

Many of those injured during the July mass uprising did not receive proper treatment in time. Speaking to 14 injured individuals, Prothom Alo has identified three main reasons behind the delays and inadequacies in treatment.

First, many of those who were shot in mid-July last year only received primary treatment at hospitals. Fearing police harassment, many avoided hospital admission altogether.

Second, many families struggled with uncertainty over who would bear the cost of emergency treatment. As a result, some were unable to afford proper medical care at the time.

Third, due to concerns over getting entangled in complications, several private hospitals and clinics were reluctant to admit injured individuals. Some left the hospital without completing treatment—either due to financial constraints or fear of arrest.

During the July mass uprising, law enforcement agencies used pellet bullets extensively alongside other weapons. Many people were injured, with some losing sight in one eye and others in both eyes.

According to official documents obtained from the office of the director of the National Eye Institute and Hospital, 1,087 people suffered serious eye injuries. Among them, 699 were treated at the Eye Institute, 137 at Dhaka CMH, 122 at Ispahani Islamia Eye Hospital, 77 at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, 38 at Bangladesh Medical University, and 14 at Chittagong Eye Infirmary and Training Complex. Each of these patients required eye surgery.

Data from the Hospital Division of the Ministry of Health states that 450 people lost sight in one eye, while 20 lost sight in both eyes. Additionally, 236 individuals suffered severe damage to one eye, and 21 to both eyes.

The highest number of eye injury patients received treatment at the National Eye Institute. Over time, medical teams from several countries, including China, Nepal, France, the United States, Singapore, and the United Kingdom, have visited to assist in treating these patients. Additionally, 21 patients were sent abroad for advanced eye treatment. Currently, seven of them remain in Turkey for ongoing treatment.

Professor Khair Ahmed Chowdhury, director of the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital (NIOH), told Prothom Alo that over a thousand people received treatment at various hospitals for eye injuries. All of them were wounded during the mass uprising. An analysis of their data shows that nearly 99 per cent were injured by pellets. The remaining 1 per cent were hit by tear gas shells or other objects. The pellets struck the chest, throat, nose, face, head, and eyes—with the eyes being the most sensitive among these.

The website of the Ministry of Health lists 13,811 people as injured. Officials from the ministry said that applicants had to submit proof of receiving treatment at a hospital or clinic along with other documents in order to be listed as injured.

Meanwhile, the ‘July Uprising Martyrs' Families and July Fighters’ Welfare and Rehabilitation Ordinance, 2025’ from the Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs states that a total of 12,887 people were injured across the country. The highest number of injuries occurred in Dhaka Division—3,098 people. Next is Chattogram Division with 1,927 injured. Rangpur and Khulna divisions recorded 1,315 and 1,195 injured respectively. The remaining three divisions—Barisal, Sylhet, and Mymensingh—reported 772, 708, and 534 injured respectively.

The ordinance categorises injured persons into three categories: critically injured, severely injured, and injured. Those considered critically injured include individuals who have lost an eye, a hand, or a leg and can no longer live independently, those who are fully blind, mentally impaired, have lost limbs, or are permanently disabled for earning a livelihood. The number of critically injured persons is 493.

Those who are partially blind, suffered severe brain injuries, or similar traumas are categorised as severely injured. Their number stands at 908. People who have lost vision or hearing, been shot, or sustained similar injuries during the July uprising and received hospital treatment are categorised as injured. Their number is 10,642.

Most of the injuries were caused by various types of gunfire. These include lethal bullets, shotgun pellets, and rubber bullets. Some were injured by batons, sticks, rods, or bricks. Others were burned in fires.

The National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR or Pangu Hospital) has treated 902 injured people, including 608 people injured by gunfire. The remaining 294 were injured in other ways.

According to data from the Ministry of Health, four people had to have one arm amputated, and twenty had one leg amputated. Additionally, several hundred people suffered severe injuries to the spine, head, or other parts of the body.

According to the gazette, 844 people were killed during the July Uprising. In July and August of last year, police, RAB, and BGB used lethal weapons to suppress the student and public movement, a fact also noted in a report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. In addition to law enforcement, members of various affiliate and fraternal organisations of the now-banned Awami League were also seen firing weapons in the capital and other parts of the country.

There is confusion over how many injured people are still admitted in hospitals. According to the latest report of the Ministry of Health released on Thursday, 17 July, 338 patients are currently hospitalised across Dhaka and other districts. However, it has been learned after making phone calls to several hospitals that the data provided by the ministry is not accurate.

For example, while the ministry reported that 116 patients were admitted at the National Institute of Opthalmology and Hospital (NIOH), its director Professor Khair Ahmed Choudhury told Prothom Alo on Thursday that no patients injured in the July uprising were currently admitted.

The ministry also reported that 121 people were admitted at Pangu Hospital. However, on Thursday, hospital authorities said only 10 people were admitted.

The ministry reported 16 people admitted at Bangladesh Medical University. However, the university’s public relations office said on Thursday that 32 injured were currently admitted.

Besides, Prothom Alo learned that several patients are still admitted at CMH, the Burn Institute, and Dhaka Medical College Hospital. In the latest briefing held by Army Headquarters on 3 July, it was stated that 4,790 injured persons had received treatment at various Combine Military Hospitals (CMHs) across the country. On that day (3 July), 22 people were still receiving treatment at CMH, Dhaka.

Due to the complexity of the situation, the government has sent several injured people abroad for better medical treatment. However, there are allegations that in some cases there were delays in sending patients overseas.

According to the Ministry of Health, 75 people have so far been sent abroad for better treatment. Among them, 11 were sent to Singapore, 56 to Thailand, 7 to Turkey, and 1 to Russia. Of these, 29 have returned to the country after treatment. Currently, 39 people are still in Thailand and 7 in Turkey for on-going treatment.

Sources from the Health Ministry said that Tk 785.23 million has been spent so far on treatment abroad. The government has also fully covered the medical expenses for those treated in hospitals within the country.

The ministry also noted that five patients are currently awaiting visas, and the government orders (GOs) for 20 others are in process. Several more are expected to be sent abroad for treatment. Passport preparations are underway for them, and on Monday, passport office officials visited Pangu Hospital to assist with the process.

Alongside sending patients abroad, the government has also brought in specialist doctors from various countries to assist in treatment. Medical teams from China, Nepal, the UK, the US, France, and Singapore have visited Bangladesh. These foreign doctors provided treatment mainly at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Pangu Hospital, the National Institute of Ophthalmology, and CMH, and offered consultation to local physicians.

Despite these efforts, many injured individuals expressed dissatisfaction with their treatment. Over the past year, they have staged multiple protests and road blockades, demonstrated several times in front of the chief advisor’s residence, Jamuna, and organised sit-ins and gatherings in front of the Secretariat. They also tried to block the health adviser’s car, and held road blockades in Shahbagh and Agargaon. There were also incidents of vandalism at the office of the director of the National Institute of Ophthalmology.

A large number of the injured are young. Many of those who were severely injured are now physically disabled. Some have lost their means of livelihood. A number of them are under psychological stress, with many feeling depressed or traumatised. Several doctors noted that mental health care services are insufficient compared to the level of need.

Syed Abdul Hamid, professor of the Institute of Health Economics at Dhaka University, is researching the socio-economic situation and rehabilitation of the injured from the July Uprising. He told Prothom Alo, “I have noticed three major gaps regarding the injured. We have not seen effective or visible initiatives to care for their mental health. Many need physiotherapy but are not receiving it. And the government has yet to ensure any sustainable income opportunities for them. That is why many are feeling frustrated. Such despair was never desirable after such a major national change.”