People injured in the student-led July-August mass uprising, academics and other speakers on Saturday demanded a full list of those martyred in the movement. They also demanded timely treatment and rehabilitation for the injured.聽
Their call on the government came at a rally organised by the 鈥楥hildren and guardians forum鈥� at Central Shaheed Minar in the capital. The families of the martyred and the injured in the uprising attended the rally.
Presiding over the event, economist Anu Muhammad said that the government鈥檚 top priorities should have been preparing a complete list of those killed along with the rehabilitation and treatment of the injured, reducing the prices of essentials and restructuring of the law enforcement agencies.
鈥楤ut the government has failed in all these areas, undermining the core aspirations of the mass uprising,鈥� he said, urging the government, which took charge after the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League regime fell on August 5, to take more significant steps to address these issues.
Emphasising the urgency of preparing the complete list of martyrs and injured individuals, the professor said, 鈥業n 53 years, we have failed to create an accurate list of 1971 freedom fighters. Many died without any state recognition. We cannot let this happen again with the July-August movement.鈥�
Addressing the event as the chief guest, Sharmeen Murshid, adviser to the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and the Ministry of Social Welfare, admitted that the complete list of martyrs had yet to be finalised.聽
The adviser also admitted possible shortcomings in the government efforts to ensure proper treatment of the injured, but asserted that there was no lack of effort from the government鈥檚 end in this regard.聽
She requested the injured individuals to form a committee of up to 25 people and meet with the government to discuss ways forward to ensure their treatment and rehabilitation.
At the event, injured individuals also shared their stories, describing how they were tortured and falsely arrested by the now ousted Awami League regime during the movement.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party standing committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan and Jahangirnagar University pro vice-chancellor Sohel Ahmed also spoke at the programme.聽聽
According to the latest government data, around 1,500 students, workers and citizens lost their lives during the July uprising, with 19,931 others injured.