18, 19 July: Mirpur hospitals on the frontline

Mirpur, one of the hotspots in Dhaka during the quota reform movement, experienced extreme violence on 18 and 19 July, which turned the area into a battlefield.

Police reportedly used rubber bullets, pellets, and bullets to control the situation, leading to at least 16 deaths and over a thousand injuries treated at the hospitals around Mirpur-10.

Most hospitals could not provide exact figures for the injured or deceased, alleging that patient documents and CCTV footage were seized by law enforcers.

Aalok Hospital in Mirpur-10 confirmed five deaths and around 200 injuries.

Hasinur Rahman, the hospital's deputy general manager, said, "At the time we struggled to cope with the pressure of the injured being brought in. Most of those who came to the hospital were shot. It was not possible to record all the information.

"Over 200 injured were brought in. However, no one could be admitted. The law enforcement authority has already taken the register book and CCTV footage."

An anonymous hospital staff member told The Business Standard, "On Friday (July 19), after 3pm our hospital was full of bullet-riddled and injured patients. Until 11pm, the hospital's ground floor and emergency unit were overwhelmed with patients who had been shot."

The staff member also mentioned that seven dead bodies were brought in, along with more than 30 seriously injured people. Over 450 injured people were given first aid at the hospital in two days.

"The hospital floor was covered in blood. I had never seen such a situation," he said. Most of those injured were referred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital.

Dr Azmal Hospital Ltd recorded at least eight deaths and over 300 injuries on 19 July.

Dr Sejuti Biswas Barman at the emergency department said the hospital could not handle the influx of injured people. She said, "Among the injured, many came with injuries to the eyes, chest, head, hands, and feet."

A hospital staff member anonymously reported that over 400 injured patients came in two days, mostly students and general people.

Meanwhile, Kazipara's Al Helal Specialised Hospital reports treating over 50 injured people without any deaths, but staff indicated at least 200 injuries and one death.

According to sources, Jagannath University student Ahsan Habib Tamim, killed on 19 July during the Mirpur-10 clash, was first brought to Al Helal Hospital, and later sent to Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital morgue.

The hospital director, Professor Dr Md Abu Shamim, confirmed the treatment of the injured with bullet wounds but said that no one was admitted at the facility.

File Photo of the protest that broke out at the capital's Mirpur 10 on 18 July. Photo: Md Jahidul Islam

Islami Bank Hospital in Mirpur-11 had to bring in three times the number of on-duty staff to handle the influx of injured, most of whom were shot.

An administrative officer said no one could be admitted in order to avoid administrative trouble, and severely injured patients were referred to other hospitals.

Other hospitals in the Mirpur-10 area, including Popular Diagnostic Center, Marks Medical College Hospital, Islami Bank Hospital, and Exim Bank Hospital, also treated numerous injured patients.

Some hospital staff reported two to three bullet-riddled bodies per hospital, though the authorities did not officially keep records.

Mahmuda Akter, Exim Bank Hospital receptionist, said, "Around 20-30 injured people were given treatment at our hospital on that day. I have no other information."

Life Aid Specialized Hospital reported that its main gate was closed during the clashes, and that it did not receive any injured people.

Ibrahim General Hospital in Mirpur-2 provided first aid to students with minor injuries but did not treat any seriously injured individuals.