Approximately 78% of those slain in conflicts centered on quota reform demonstrations received fatal gunshot wounds. Most of them had bullet wounds to their heads, chests, backs, and abdomens.
212 deaths have been documented as a result of the quota reform movement thus far. Upon examining 175 of their deaths, it was discovered that 137 of them had shotgun pellet wounds and 22 had fatal bullet wounds. Of the remaining victims, four perished in fire attacks on cars and establishments, and ten had bodies with signs of beatings. After the cops chased them, two drowned.
The Dhaka Medical College Hospital’s records, together with those of eleven other hospitals in Dhaka and Narayanganj, provided this information. In order to find out why many victims died, Prothom Alo correspondents in Chattogram, Rangpur, Bogura, Savar, Sylhet, Narayanganj, Narsingdi, Gazipur, Mymensingh, Chandpur, Tangail, and Madaripur also spoke with the relatives of numerous victims.
According to analysis, the majority of the victims only took one shot to kill them. Relatives have also occasionally reported seeing two bullet marks. Some of the dead were shot inside their homes, on balconies or rooftops, while they were dying in protests.
Twenty of the 175 victims that Prothom Alo analyzed were over 40 years old, 103 were between the ages of 18 and 29, 27 were between the ages of 30 and 39, and 22 were toddlers and teenagers. The three victims’ ages were unknown.
Out of the 175 people who died, 46 were students, 26 worked in various retail establishments, hotels, and sales centers, 16 were shopkeepers, small traders, and hawkers, 14 were daily gamblers and related professions, 13 were drivers of various cars, trucks, rickshaw pullers, and drivers’ assistants, 7 were employees in the apparel industry, 1 was a farmer, and 23 were employed in other professions. 18 people’s identities could not be determined. Four were journalists, four were police and members of Ansar.
Of the 175 individuals, six were found to be politically involved. Among them were a man from the Bangladesh Chhatra League, an activist from the Motsyajibi League, a Jubo League member, a Jubo Dal member, and a Shibir member. It should be mentioned that a mix of merchants and students made up this group. They joined these groups by enlistment.
On July 16, 18, 19, 20, and 21, deaths were recorded in Dhaka and elsewhere; on July 17, there was no mention of any deaths. Later, a large number of patients passed away while receiving hospital care.
There have been reports of police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) troops being accused of deploying deadly weapons. But according to the case statements of 34 cases that the police in Dhaka filed about a total of 64 killings, the deceased were not slain by law enforcement but rather by miscreants and terrorists who were shot without cause. Prothom Alo was able to gather data on 34 police-filed cases. When those situations are analyzed, it is discovered that their claims are nearly identical. I discussed this with Md. Prothom Alo, deputy commissioner of DMP’s media and public relations division.Faruk Hossain stated on Wednesday that a large number of miscreants and infiltrators, including those from the BNP and Jamaat, joined the quota reform campaign and engaged in illegal activity. In their firing, many people perished. Cases are brought based on main information, he continued. Who fired the shots will be found out through investigations. We’ll bring the real criminals to justice.
But according to a statement released by Amnesty International on July 25, lawful firearms were unlawfully deployed to put an end to the protests. After confirming three recordings of the incidents that occurred during the protests, they released the statement.
Agnes Callamard, the secretary general of Amnesty International, also issued an open letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on July 30. The letter included some remarks about the killings that are at the heart of the quota reform movement.
“Our findings indicate that security personnel are using deadly weapons, like assault rifles with the AK pattern, without authorization, and that they are using birdshot illegally against student demonstrators,” the letter’s author stated.
Sorts of bullets
According to security specialists, the police typically employ rubber bullets, sound grenades, batons, hot and cold water, colored water, tear gas, and hot and cold water to quell protests. When needed, they also employ weapons.
These types of weapons and guns are not the same. Long-range shooting and hitting is not possible with these shotguns. The cartridge is loaded with pellets, which are tiny balls. People are not killed when less potent shotguns are used to quell disturbance unless they are struck directly. Shots from a rifle can be lethal at a distance. Rifles are not used against unarmed protestors because this is killing people.
Security analyst Brigadier General (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain claimed that Chinese guns are carried by the police in an interview with a reporter. BGB and RAB both own firearms. Bangladesh objects, he said, because the Indian Border Security Force carries out deadly operations. Why does the nation employ deadly weaponry to put down protestors?
106 of the 175 fatalities, according to an investigation of the deaths, died in Dhaka. The capital city of Jatrabari was the scene of many of the killings. Other than that, there were gun-related deaths at Badda, Bhatara, Rampura, Banasree, Uttara, Mirpur, Kadamtali, Kafrul, Badda, Green Road, Azimpur, Science Lab, Mohammedpur, Paltan, Golapbagh, Hatirjheel, Gopibagh, and Sutrapur. 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) were among the other locations outside of the capital where homicides occurred. Locals also reported, as did Prothom Alo’s correspondents on the scene, that cops, RAB, and BGB had opened fire in large quantities.
Speaking to Reporter on Thursday night, former inspector general of police (IGP) Nur Mohammad stated that police can only use fire—but not kill—after a prolonged period of patience in quelling agitations and when they have no other option. They can try to hurt people and get things under control. It felt like the plan was to shoot and kill this time. It is in no way acceptable to accept so many deaths.
“We controlled demonstrations too when I was in the police service,” he remarked. We were quite patient in getting things under control. It appears that they were instructed to shoot this time. This pattern is concerning.
Nur Mohammed made reference to the passing of Begum Rokeya University student Abu Sayeed in Rangpur, stating that he was an innocent man holding a stick. At one point, the police just shot him. We are unable to accept this.
“Gunshot” is mentioned in the records
Md Imran was shot in the head at Daniya-Rasulpur in the afternoon of July 17 and was lying on the street in front of a hospital. In the community, Imran’s father is referred to as Alam Baburchi. Imran’s mother Jahan Ara Begum told reporter that her only son passed away on July 18 at Dhaka Medical. His death certificate listed “gunshot injury” as the cause of death.
On July 19, in the afternoon, Abdul Ahad, four years old, was shot at his home in Rayerbagh, Jatrabari. The protesters and the Chhatra League had engaged in combat on the street beneath his residence. Suddenly, a bullet struck him in the right eye while he and his parents were watching the activities below on the verandah. He was taken to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital and died the following day while being held in the intensive care unit and on life support.
Abdullah, a 14-year-old madrasah student, was shot and killed on July 19 in Jatrabari. At the morgue of Dhaka Medical College, a relative spotted his body. He informed Reporter—who wished to remain anonymous—that Abdullah had gunshot wounds in his arms, legs, and waist. According to his death certificate, an autopsy would be required to determine the cause of death.
Deadly gunshot on the street
On July 19, Mobarak Hossain, a thirteen-year-old boy, became entangled in fighting in the capital city’s Green Road. He was shot in the head, and the following day he passed away. Ratan, Mobarak’s brother, told Reporter on July 25 that Mobarak was shot in Green Road that day while on his way home from delivering milk. Reporter was informed by Tito’s brother-in-law Saiful Islam that on July 19, Md. Tito (35), who was also on Green Road, was shot. Green Road would be his residence.
On July 18–21, there had been numerous altercations and gunfire in Badda. Toufiqul Islam, 30, an engineer employed by a private company, was shot in front of his Badda home on July 19. After receiving care at Dhaka Medical College Hospital for two days, he passed away on July 21. The Dhaka Medical College morgue performed his post mortem.
Speaking to Reporter in front of the morgue, a relative of Toufiqul (who preferred to remain anonymous) revealed that Toufiqul has one infant son and one infant girl.
Not a bullet report
In addition to the fatalities, there have also been several injuries. Upon visiting thirty-one public and private hospitals, it was discovered that 6,703 injured individuals had received care there. These patients arrived at the hospital between July 16 and July 22. There was no documentation of the number of people who suffered bullet injuries, albeit some did.
A detailed report of individuals with bullet injuries was available from the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR). 964 people with injuries had been admitted to this government hospital between July 18 and July 22. 239 of them had been wounded by bullets. This indicates that 24% of the injured patients who arrived at the hospital had been shot. Their legs had to be amputated below the knee for at least two of them. Zakir Shikder, who is 27 years old, was one of them. He declared, “I have been crippled,” to Reporter. My family is now burdened with me!”
Many have had treatment after being struck in the eyes by rubber bullets and pellets. A few of them remain in the hospital. 615 patients were receiving treatment at the National Institute of Ophthalmology, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, and the nonprofit Lions Eye Hospital, according to a visit to these facilities. While some just had one eye hurt, others had both.
Speaking to Prothom Alo about the case as a whole, Supreme Court attorney Shahdeen Malik remarked that it is unbelievable that so many individuals had passed away in such a short period of time. It is completely nonsensical for the cops to claim that miscreants killed them.
