Bloodshed in the Power Vacuum: 284 Lives Lost in Just 26 Days of Chaos
Quota Reform Movement: Death Toll and Violence
According to media reports, 284 people were killed in the 26 days of the fall of the government on August 5 to August 31 in the face of the mass movement of students. On the other hand, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stated in their preliminary report that around 400 people were killed between July 16 and August 4.
Bangla Tribune has obtained information about 591 deaths by analyzing the news published in the daily Prothom Alo (from July 15 to August 31) by the Bangladeshi media.
The quota reform movement started on July 1 and turned violent on July 15. That day Dhaka University and Jahangirnagar University became turbulent due to Chhatra League attack.
The next day on July 16, this movement spread across the country. Students from different universities came down on the streets. The police and the Awami League and its associates started clashing with the agitators. 6 people were killed in the conflict that day.
Wasim, a student of Chittagong College and co-convener of the college’s Chhatra Dal branch, which is directly linked to the political organisation, was killed.
As the information published in Prothom Alo was published the day after the event, it was analyzed accordingly:
In the newspaper of July 17 there is news about the death of two ordinary students. If this is added to one of the Chhatra Dal, the number will be three. Analyzing the information of Prothom Alor, it can be seen that there is news of one more victim in the newspaper dated 18th.
The death toll is high - ordinary people or unknown. On the 18th, the following day’s newspaper reported that 30 people had been killed. July 19 can be considered as the most violent day. Because, the news about the death of 76 ordinary people came in the newspaper on the 20th of the next day.
Until Sheikh Hasina’s resignation, 18 members of the law and order forces were reported to have died in violence. Although the former home minister reports the death of 3 members of the law enforcement force.
The Inspector General of Police (IG) claimed on August 11 that 42 policemen had been killed in the violence. Moinul Islam. But on August 18, police headquarters informed that 44 of their members had been killed in the violence.
The day before Sheikh Hasina’s resignation, violence broke out across the country. 18 Awami League activists were killed that day.
9 BNP activists were killed
After Sheikh Hasina’s resignation, a total of 9 BNP workers were killed due to various conflicts and spread of influence in Khabar newspaper.
According to the information obtained by Bangla Tribune, there are also reports of media workers being killed around the quota reform movement. Four journalists lost their lives until July 29 while collecting news about the movement.
On the other hand, on August 2, UNICEF South Asia Regional Director Sanjay Wijesekera said in a statement, ‘UNICEF has confirmed that at least 32 children were killed in July due to the violence of the student anti-discrimination movement.