The protesters who were injured during the student-led mass uprising lifted the blockade on the Agargaon-Shyamoli road after around 13 hours, following assurances from four advisers to interim-government to address their demands, including ensuring proper treatment.
The protesters returned to the hospitals after law adviser Asif Nazrul, adviser Mahfuj Alam, fisheries and livestock adviser Farida Akhter, local government adviser Asif Mahmud, and special assistant for health Md Sayedur Rahman, visited them at about 2:30am on Thursday.
A meeting will be held at the Secretariat between the advisers and a team representing the injured at 2:00pm at the Secretariat on Thursday.
鈥業t is not a suitable time to listen to you here. Come to the Secretariat at 2:00pm on Thursday. An outline will be prepared there based on the discussion. That outline will be implemented by December,鈥� adviser Mahfuj said.
鈥榃e will ensure your treatment and rehabilitation,鈥� he added.
Acknowledging the failure of ensuring proper treatment, law adviser Asif Nazrul said, 鈥業t is our failure, our mistake. But we did not lack in terms of effort. Trust us, we will give a concrete outline, in writing.鈥櫬�
Around 60 protesters, undergoing treatment at hospitals, including the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation and the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital, blocked the road at about 2:00pm on Wednesday after health adviser Nurjahan Begum, who had visited NITOR at 11:30am to check on the injured, left the hospital without meeting all the injured.聽
As the aggrieved protesters cordoned off the health adviser鈥檚 vehicle, the health adviser Nurjahan and British high commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cook were forced to leave NITOR in another vehicle.
At one stage, the aggrieved protesters鈥攕ome in wheelchairs, some on crutches, and others with eyesight problems鈥攄emanded the resignation of the health adviser and vowed to remain on the street until other advisers from the interim government arrived to hear their demands.
During the blockade, the protesters expressed their frustration over negligence in treatment and rehabilitation, as well as delays in the disbursement of funds from the July Shaheed Smriti Foundation.