C T Online Desk: Officials believe the actual death toll is higher as the DGHS is still awaiting data from private hospitals.
At least 407 people have died in government hospitals across the country due to incidents related to the recent Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, sources at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said.
The data, collected from upazila, district, divisional medical college hospitals, and specialised hospitals between 15 July and 15 August, reveals that two-thirds of the deceased succumbed to their injuries before reaching medical facilities.
Despite this alarming number, officials believe the actual death toll is higher, especially as the DGHS is still awaiting data from private hospitals, where many of the injured were also treated.
There have been reports of bodies piling up in several private hospitals in Rampura, Badda, and Mirpur, following shootings by police and other law enforcement agencies during the protests. These deaths have not been included in official counts.
Although the DGHS has requested information from these institutions, private medical facilities have been slow to respond, even after being given a three-day deadline.
A DGHS official said that a high-level government committee is being formed to determine the exact number of casualties, including those killed, shot, and seriously injured during the protests and the period surrounding the fall of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government.
According to DGHS data, from 15 July to 15 August, about 18,576 people sought medical treatment at government hospitals after sustaining injuries from gunshots, tear gas, and other wounds during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. Of these, 4,554 were admitted with serious injuries, with about 57% of the injured being in Dhaka. Besides, over 1,000 injured persons received treatment at hospitals in Chattogram, Barishal, Rangpur, and Rajshahi, with 407 reported dead. Out of these, 290 died at the scene, while 117 succumbed to their injuries while receiving treatment in hospitals.
By division, the highest number of deaths occurred in Dhaka, with 238 fatalities, making up about 59% of the total. Chattogram recorded 48 deaths, Khulna 35, Rangpur 26, Rajshahi and Sylhet 23 each, Mymensingh 12, and Barishal 2.
However, the DGHS could not provide hospital-specific data. Field-level reports indicate that most deaths in Dhaka’s government hospitals occurred at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) and Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, with 208 deaths reported at these two hospitals alone.
Investigations revealed that 167 people died at DMCH from gunshot wounds and other severe injuries. Autopsies were conducted on 107 bodies, while relatives took 60 bodies without undergoing autopsies.
Similarly, at Suhrawardy Hospital, the families of 41 individuals who had been shot and killed took the bodies without autopsy. Four bodies still remain in the hospital. Additionally, many bodies were never brought to the hospital, leading authorities to believe that the actual number of deaths in government hospitals is much higher.
Apart from this, four people died at Sir Salimullah Medical College (Mitford Hospital) in Old Dhaka, three at the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR), and two at the National Institute of Diseases of the Chest and Hospital (NIDCH).
Dr. Shafiur Rahman, director of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital on Tuesday told journalists, “We have limited space here. As soon as the bodies arrived, we requested the police to conduct autopsies and post-mortem examinations, but they did not come. We were forced to hand over the bodies to the families when they came. The identities of four individuals have yet to be confirmed, and their bodies are at risk of decomposition.”
A surge of injured individuals also flooded private hospitals. The situation was particularly dire in areas around Dhaka, including Rampura-Badda, Uttara, Mirpur, and Savar, where violent confrontations occurred.
Those injured and killed in the clashes in Rampura, Badda and Pragati Sarani were taken to AMZ Hospital in Middle Badda and Farazi Hospital in Banasree. Around 3,000 injured people received treatment at these two hospitals, with at least 40 reported deaths.
Since there is no government hospital in Mirpur, the injured were taken to local facilities such as Dr. Azmal Hospital, Aalok Health Care, Islami Bank Hospital, Al-Helal Specialized Hospital, and Delta Hospital. At least 10 deaths have been confirmed at these hospitals.
In Savar, the majority of those injured or killed in the clashes were taken to Enam Medical College Hospital, where 207 people were admitted. Of these, 34 have been confirmed dead.
An official from the Management Information System (MIS) of DGHS, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “During the initial phase of the student protest, there were restrictions on sharing information about the injured and deceased with the media. However, following the fall of the ruling party, efforts to gather data intensified. As pressure increased, information started to flow, and it continues to come in.”
