Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has described doctors as among the key heroes of the July uprising, recognising their role and service during a time of national crisis.
Prof Yunus said to the doctors: “You are not just doctors, you are among the key heroes of this July uprising. The service you have rendered during this difficult time is something we will never forget.”
He said this in a video message directed at healthcare workers during the July Remembrance Ceremony, held on Monday at the Shaheed Abu Sayed Convention Centre in the capital, where the healthcare workers who treated the wounded July fighters were honoured.
The chief adviser expressed deep sorrow over the plane crash at Milestone School and College, saying: “This is a deeply painful event for the nation. I pray for the peace of the souls of those who lost their lives in this incident. I also wish a speedy recovery for those still undergoing treatment in the hospital. This horrific accident reminds us once again of the contribution of doctors and healthcare workers, the nobility of their profession. When the air is filled with cries, fear, and uncertainty, you are the light of hope for us. On behalf of the nation, I thank you—those who, during this difficult time, continue treating the injured despite exhaustion.”
Referring to the need for continued treatment of the wounded during wartime, Professor Muhammad Yunus said: “This is recognised under international law. But we saw the opposite in Bangladesh. During the days of the July 2024 uprising, the fascist government didn’t stop at firing bullets at the nation’s students and citizens. They made every effort to prevent anyone from receiving treatment at hospitals. The stories of our doctors in July outshine even those of battlefield medics. Students were beaten and bloodied on the streets, and even after they entered medical facilities, they were attacked. Doctors and nurses were threatened and obstructed in every possible way. Hundreds of boys and girls lost their eyesight because they couldn’t receive timely treatment. The directive was clear—no hospital was to treat anyone injured in the protests.”
He continued: “You treated the wounded in secret. You risked your lives in hospital after hospital to provide medical care to the July fighters. Patient information was deliberately not recorded because those records were being used to track and arrest the injured. You provided top-level care, day and night, for free, to save the lives of those shot during the movement. We saw two sister doctors take the initiative to set up a temporary clinic in a garage to provide treatment. Many others set up makeshift clinics in their own homes. You yourselves were at risk, and so were your families. Yet, you overcame mountain-like obstacles to come forward and save lives.”
The chief adviser added: “There was a blood shortage for the wounded. You managed to procure blood while evading the oppressive gaze of the administration. To protect the identities of the injured, you wrote false names and fake diagnoses on prescriptions to hide them from the police. Private doctors secretly went into hospitals to treat patients while avoiding detection by authorities. When there was no supply of blood transfusion equipment, you provided it yourselves. You personally supplied antibiotics and painkillers.”
