On July 18, Dhanmondi turned into a battleground as students clashed violently with law enforcement and ruling party supporters during a protest for reform.
Bullets, tear gas, and sound grenades were fired relentlessly to prevent the students from regrouping. Many were injured, and tragically, some lost their lives in the daylong conflict.
Injured students, desperate for medical help, found the roads blocked, making it difficult to reach hospitals. Bleeding from shotgun pellets, they searched for anyone who could assist them.
At this critical moment, a garage of a building in Dhanmondi transformed into a makeshift hospital. This was not the work of a single individual; the entire building's residents came together to make the impossible happen.
Leading the effort were two female doctors, Dr Worthy Jukhrif and Dr Hritisha Aktar Mithen, who stepped forward with whatever resources they had.
That day, Dr Worthy and Dr Mithen were anxiously following the news of the protest, dubbed the "July Revolution," while listening to the gunfire outside.
“We were receiving updates from social media all morning. The neighborhood was tense,” Dr Worthy recalled.
“Around 2pm, a student rally formed right in front of my house,” she added.
Within half an hour, the peaceful rally escalated into a violent clash with the police.
“The first gunshot startled us. We’re not used to hearing such sounds,” she said.
From her balcony, she saw a cloud of smoke shrouding the area. Several students nearby were seriously injured. After getting a closer look, she realized that some had been shot and were bleeding.
Call of duty
At that moment, Dr Worthy faced a moral dilemma: Should she remain idle or take action as a doctor? “I asked myself, where does my responsibility as a doctor lie?” she said.
With that, Dr Worthy, driven by her sense of duty, went downstairs. They found other residents of the building also gathered. Dr Worthy was relieved to see Dr Mithen among them. Together, they decided to offer whatever first aid they could.
The duo opened the garage doors to the students, introducing themselves and urging them to take shelter.
Other residents of the building provided first-aid supplies and reassured the doctors that they had their full support.
Dr Worthy noted how crucial this support was, as many neighboring buildings had refused to open their doors, fearing retaliation.
As word spread, more injured students arrived at the makeshift hospital, with nowhere else to go.
Dr Worthy admitted they were limited in what they could do, as they lacked proper medical equipment. However, they did their best—removing pellets, stopping bleeding, administering saline, and prescribing necessary medications.
One student was treated three times in a single day.
After his first treatment, he returned to protest, only to come back after being shot again.
The doctors patched him up a second time, but by the third visit, his condition was so grave that they urged him not to go back out. However, he still went out.
Political pressure
As the makeshift hospital gained attention, the authorities and political leaders also became aware.
That night, men claiming to be from law enforcement questioned the building’s security guard, seeking information about the doctors—where they lived and other personal details.
According to Dr Worthy, the guard skillfully deflected their inquiries. Political figures also made attempts to gather information.
Though the duo continued treating some patients the following day, their anxiety lingered.
The days that followed were marked by post-traumatic stress as they feared the potential consequences of their actions.
Now, they find themselves in a new Bangladesh, where students can live in peace. Reflecting on the events, Dr Worthy said: “I have no political affiliations. What I did, I did as a human being.”
