THE interim government, determined to recognise the contribution of all who took part in the student-mass uprising that resulted in the fall of the authoritarian Awami League regime, has talked about a foundation to archive the history, memorialise the contribution of the students and citizens who risked their life for a democratic transformation. The social welfare and health adviser has repeatedly assured that the government will ensure quality medical treatment for all the injured in police violence during the protests. The government has, however, so far not taken any meaningful initiative to achieve this goal. A number of civic organisations are, meanwhile, tirelessly collecting information, documenting casualties and assisting injured protesters, but they are doing it without much of institutional support. A preliminary Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies report on August 30 said that at least 112 workers in different sectors were killed in the violent stage of the protest in July-August and demanded that the government should take early steps to make a complete list of all who died and ensure adequate damages for them.
The tolled Awami League government relied on deceit and lies to avoid taking responsibility for the violence that it unleashed against protesters and even instructed hospitals to refuse information on death and injury. The first and foremost step that the government should take is to expeditiously publish a full list of all who died and became injured in violence. The Office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has confirmed that more than 65 children died in the protests. Recently, the health adviser, when he visited injured police personnel, said that more than 1,000 had died. After an inspection of the treatment of the injured protesters, the social adviser on August 19 said that the government would do everything for the rehabilitation of the injured as it is the government鈥檚 moral responsibility. Sadly, there has been barely any coordinated government effort to ensure a proper treatment of the injured protesters. About a month later, there is no comprehensive list of the injured, especially the protesters injured in areas outlying Dhaka.
It is high time that the government drew up a thorough plan on how to support and acknowledge people鈥檚 contribution to the student-mass uprising in July and made it public. The priority task for the government is to make a list of all the deceased and injured in the protests and ensure adequate and early compensation for them. The government must also ensure access of all the injured to treatment and their rehabilitation. More important,聽the government must establish justice and legal accountability for the recent massacre and immediately form an independent commission, ensuring citizen鈥檚 participation and following international protocol to investigate such incidents of violent attacks on protests.
