Protesting victims of the July-August mass uprising called off their demonstration in Dhaka early Monday after receiving assurance that their demands including proper treatment, rehabilitation and state recognition would be met.
Hasnat Abdullah, the central coordinator of the Students Against Discrimination, assured them that they would take measures to modify the category system for the injured victims and ensure their proper treatment by this week.
The rest of their demands, including rehabilitation, would be implemented in phases.
The protesters, who took position in front of the state guest house Jamuna, the official residence of chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, minutes after midnight past Sunday by breaching security barricades along the way, left the place at about 2:00am.
Hasnat arrived there half an hour after the protesters had taken position there.
鈥楬e assured us of meeting our demands. So, we withdrew our demonstration,鈥� said, Md Imran, a patient at the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital.
Imran was injured on August 4 in Shahbagh by rubber bullets.
Their demands also include fair compensation, speedy trial of those involved in the July-August massacre, ensuring their safety through the formation of a safety act, and abolition of the government-created categories for injured individuals based on the severity of injuries.
A group of July-August uprising victims, including those undergoing treatment at hospitals, blocked Aargaon and Mirpur roads in Dhaka from Saturday evening to Sunday evening to press home their demands.
As no government representative met with them by 6:00pm on Sunday, the protesters began moving towards Jamuna.
They, however, had to stay in front of InterContinental Dhaka hotel from around 7:40pm due to security barricades. After midnight, they breached the barricades and took position in front of Jamuna.
Since November 13, 2024, victims of the uprising repeatedly took to the streets to press home their demands, following the interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus assuming power on August 8, 2024, three days after the fall of Sheikh Hasina鈥檚 authoritarian regime on August 5, 2024.
According to the government data, 834 people were killed and 11,551 were injured during the mass uprising.
The government is still updating the data.