Injured protesters from the July student movement, who were still staging a protest in the capital by blocking roads outside the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (Nitor) on Wednesday night, have issued an ultimatum demanding the presence of four advisers at the site.
They requested that the advisers for Health, Information, Youth, and Social Welfare be present at the location by 10 pm
The protesters, who are undergoing treatment at Nitor, continued their demonstration late into Wednesday night, blocking the road from Agargaon to Shyamoli.
At around 8:15pm, they blocked one side of the road. Some of the injured were sitting in wheelchairs, while others, despite having broken limbs, were seated on chairs.
The protesters said that they would not vacate the road or return to the hospital until the advisers arrived.
Earlier, at around 1:20pm, the protesters took to the streets, causing significant traffic congestion and a backlog of vehicles heading towards Shyamoli. During this time, a large number of police officers were stationed in front of the hospital gates. Additionally, the military arrived at the scene around 3pm.
According to the demonstrators, around 500 individuals injured in the July movement are receiving treatment at Nitor but are not receiving adequate care or medical allowances. They expressed frustration after Adviser to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Noorjahan Begum and British High Commissioner Sarah Cooke visited the hospital earlier in the day but did not meet with all the injured patients.
Several protesters reported that the health adviser and high commissioner arrived around 11:30am and only visited the male ward on the fourth floor, overlooking those injured on the third floor. When the officials prepared to leave, frustrated patients blocked a Ministry of Health vehicle.
One protester reportedly sat in front of the car, while another climbed onto the roof. The health adviser and high commissioner eventually left in another vehicle, but protesters continued to block additional ministry and police vehicles in protest.
Hasan, a student injured in the movement, shared his grievances: “There are 48 of us in each ward, but they only spoke to a few people and didn’t allow any local journalists to enter. They left without talking to most of us. I’ve had nine operations on my leg, yet I still haven’t recovered. We’re asking for the Tk1 lakh compensation they promised, along with quality medical treatment.”
Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of Police for the DMP Tejgaon Division, Mohammad Ziaul Haque, said: “They are protesting in front of the hospital for proper treatment and compensation following the July and August 5 student-public movements. We are in discussions with the injured, hospital authorities, and other relevant parties to resolve the matter promptly.”
Regarding the situation involving the health adviser and British high commissioner’s vehicles, ADC Ziaul Haque noted: “They are injured patients. This was not an attack or an attempt to vandalize; they were simply blocking the car out of frustration.”
