819 deaths during student protests: HRSS

The Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) has claimed to have documented the deaths of 819 people during the recent student-led protests in Bangladesh. 

During a press conference held at the National Press Club today (20 August), the rights body said they were able to identify 630 individuals, while 189 remain unknown.

The organisation reported that from 16 July to 3 August, 311 people were killed, and from 4-18 August, another 508 people lost their lives.

The HRSS mentioned they gathered information from victims’ families, eyewitnesses, hospitals, and national dailies.

The report also suggested that based on credible information from the media, hospitals, and other sources, the actual death toll could be at least 1,000.

The report claims that among the deceased, 83 (18%) were children under 18 years old, 240 (51%) were young adults, 126 (27%) were middle-aged, and 21 (4.5%) were elderly. 

Notably, 69% of the identified victims were under the age of 30. Also, 10 female children and women were among the deceased.

The report further details that the professions of 293 victims have been identified, including 144 students, 57 labourers, 51 members of law enforcement, 5 journalists, and 35 others from various professions.

Regarding the geographical distribution of the victims, the report states that out of the 819 deaths, 500 were in the Dhaka division, 85 in Chattogram, 76 in Khulna, 61 in Rajshahi, 39 in Mymensingh, 25 in Rangpur, 20 in Sylhet, and 13 in Barishal.

Additionally, the HRSS called for an independent commission to investigate all past enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, the swift withdrawal of all false cases from the past, and proper investigations into all attacks on minority communities, with appropriate actions taken against those responsible.