Bonikbarta Exclusive

“We carried those who were brought in wounded and dead. The body is soaked in blood. I have arranged for those who need medicine. I have done all the processes required for the operation. I have told many people to help us. No one came forward. Tired of pulling so many bodies, I still did not stop. But no one asked to do these things; I did it on my own will due to the pull of people towards people.”

Priya Khan, who volunteered in Dhaka Medical College's emergency department (DMCH) during the anti-discrimination student movement, shared her experiences with Bonik Barta. Alongside her were other members of the third gender community from Shahbagh police station: Mukta, Nodi, Boishakhi, Mugdho, and Habiba. They volunteered in front of the emergency department from the night of July 16 until 4 am on August 6. Their activities took place every day from 10 am to 4 am.

The usual picture in the emergency department of DMC Hospital during the anti-discrimination student movement days is very different. After a while, the injured were brought in a rickshaw van, ambulance, and mini truck. Most of them were shot: Someone's hand, someone's leg, chest, neck, or headshot. Most of the bodies had bullet wounds to the chest and head. The whole body was bloody. Sometimes, there are piles of corpses full of cars. However, the hospital did not have enough manpower to carry the bodies inside the hospital on stretchers, admit them, administer medicines and blood, and keep the bodies in specific places. The roles of those who were there were very different. The volunteers were panting while doing these tasks.

Priya Khan, the main initiator of this humanitarian work, was spoken to in front of the DMC Emergency Department last Wednesday. Describing the first day's experience, she said, "From July 17, the terrible situation began. Many people are shot dead; dead bodies are coming. Not only boys but also women and children. I told Guru Ma that we take money from the boys and girls of Dhaka University. They are in danger, which means we are in danger too. Now, they need to stand by. Then Guru Ma said what do you want to do? I said that as many of us as we can volunteer at DMC. Then, when we start working in the emergency department, the authorities ask with whose permission we are working here. We have many arguments. I said we eat by collection in DU, so I came here on my initiative. First, I started holding the stretcher. I carried many injured and dead people.

Priya Khan said the horror started increasing in the hospital on July 18. A lot of blood is needed. A blood collection booth was set up in front of the emergency department of DMC with the help of some people. However, if a bag was requested for blood collection, it was not provided by DMC. It is said, 'Since you are collecting, you also arrange the bags.' Later, the bags are collected from outside. 730 bags of blood were arranged through that booth, where 36 members of the third gender also donated blood. Priya collected a donation of BDT 3 lakh from ordinary people to provide emergency medicine for the injured. Patients admitted to DM have also contributed financially.

Referring to the country as ‘Moger Mulluk,’ Priya Khan said, "Everyone in the hospital knows that patients are lying in cars in front of the emergency department, but no staff catches them." We didn't allow that. I took it myself. I took him in my arms, who could not be taken on a stretcher. The most shocking incident was when a man brought three dead bodies from Jatrabari in a CNG autorickshaw. They were lying inside the car in front of the emergency department for about 3 hours. No one took it out. The CNG autorickshaw driver said, "They have sent me the dead bodies; where will I go with them at night?"

The volunteer said many people stood and saw the joke, "Six patients are coming in one car. All three are dead; others are injured beside him. So many vehicles came that there was a line of 10 ambulances with one ambulance. How many people had to be dropped here from so many cars? Those who came here and watched the spectacle, no one caught a body. My Guru Ma is 70 years old; if she can carry a wounded person carry a dead body, why can't others? But none of them did.

Priya Khan said that more bodies have arrived on July 19 and 20. She said, "The bodies that arrived on the first day had bullets in their hands and feet. But what was coming next? They were all shot from the waist to the chest, the upper part of the head. No one will give exact information on how many people died. Medical will not provide. Many did not know we were volunteering. Even after the imposition of curfew, we have not decided that if we die, we will die here and not go home. A helicopter was patrolling above. There was no condition to hold back tears at this sad time. The whole body is wet with blood. It's been days since I couldn't eat because of the smell of blood. On July 23, I came at noon and saw the floor entirely of dead bodies.

On July 25, the most unprecedented event occurred, which may not have happened anywhere. The gunshot victims who came to DMC were arrested and fingerprinted. But they did not have the physical condition to take a finger. Every room is locked and fingered so that no one can leave. After this incident, many people injured in the movement ran away from the hospital. Many have been handed over to the police.

Narrating the incident, Priya Khan said, "I asked the DMC authorities to let the injured people live first." Everyone has a phone number. Find them later. Everyone is in danger; they don't need to take a finger now. Then the authorities asked us who had allowed us to come here. I will file a case in your name. The authorities did not keep any evidence of how many bodies were given away. The bodies of many were lying for three days, yet they were not given to their relatives. The rotten smell came out. I couldn't stand the smell of blood. I have handed over the body to many relatives under the authority of the hospital.”