People injured during the July-August mass uprising staged a demonstration on Agargaon Road on Wednesday (Nov 13), demanding proper medical treatment and financial support.

They protesters blocked the main road in front of the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR) around 1:15 pm allowing only ambulances to pass. 

According to eyewitnesses, the demonstrators remained firm, preventing other vehicles from moving through the area.

Some of the injured protesters while talking to media expressed their frustration over the lack of support for their treatment. 

They claimed they had not received any of the funds allocated for their medical expenses.

Md. Hasan, a student injured during the Anti-Discrimination Movement, expressed his grievances to the media, saying, “Forty-eight people are in a single ward receiving treatment. They brought in five foreign journalists of their choice, but no local journalists were allowed into the hospital ward. Some foreign visitors spoke briefly to a few people and then left, but none spoke to us directly.”

Hasan added, “We were restricted from speaking out. We have been sitting here for three months with inadequate treatment. I’ve undergone nine surgeries on my leg and still haven’t fully recovered. We want everyone to hear our voices. The authorities promised us one lakh taka each for treatment, and we demand quality medical care.”

Earlier in the day, Health Adviser Noorjahan Begum and British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke visited NITOR to meet patients, including those injured in the recent protests.

BDST: 1630 HRS, NOV 13, 2024
MSK/SMS