More than 1,000 people have been killed during the protests by the Anti-discrimination Student Movement while over 400 have been blinded in police firing.
Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum made the statement during a visit to the Central Police Hospital at Rajarbagh in Dhaka on Thursday. The adviser went to see the police personnel injured in clashes and spoke to those at the surgical department to ask about their condition. She told the media that many police personnel had sought treatment for their injuries at the hospital. Many sustained injuries on their heads and legs.
"So far 1,000 people have been killed and over 400 students and members of the general public have lost their eye sight. Many have been blind in one eye, while others are blind in both." Nurjahan said they were speaking to an American-based institution called Sheba regarding the treatment of those who had lost vision in their eyes. A list of those who were having eye issues had been provided to them.
"We have given the Sheba Foundation a list of those who have lost vision in their eyes or are having eye-related issues. They said they will send doctors to our country as soon as possible. They will be treated at the Ispahani Islamia Eye Institute, the National Eye Science Institute and Hospital, the Chattogram Eye Hospital, and in Dinajpur." She also spoke of many who had received wounds on their legs. "Many received wounds on their legs. Many of their legs had to be amputated. We are speaking to various donor agencies. We have also spoken with the World Bank so that a team of doctors can be brought in from abroad for good treatment. We are working on that."
A movement demanding the reform of the quota system in government jobs began holding protests on July 1. The protests intensified on July 15. The killing of a university student named Abu Sayed in Rangpur inflamed the movement. Violence around the protests became bloodier on July 18. Many were killed and injured during clashes with the police in different locations across the country.
The Anti-discrimination Student Movement then transformed into an anti-government movement. On August 5, Sheikh Hasina resigned her premiership and fled to India in the face of the student-led mass movement.
