In slack July, when a gunshot affected person wished urgent transport, ambulance driver Masum Hossain picked him up from the Dhaka Clinical School Hospital (DMCH) and headed for Nationwide Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR).
“On the opposite hand, after we reached Asad Gate, a neighborhood of Chhatra League and Jubo League activists stopped the auto,” Masum acknowledged.
They requested Masum what fill of ailment the affected person used to be tormented by. When they seen it used to be a gunshot sufferer, they charged him, offended that he used to be carrying a wounded protester.
“The man used to be death interior, and they also were charging me why I was taking him to sanatorium. I acknowledged this man is death, mustn’t I place his life? But they would no longer enable me to take him to sanatorium,” Masum acknowledged.
Some law enforcement officers seemed on the narrate. Masum pleaded with them to let his automobile plod. After some deliberation, the police allowed him to take the affected person to the sanatorium.
“I also took the physique of a sufferer killed in some unspecified time in the future of the protests to Kishoreganj. The protesters stopped us on the capability, but they allowed us to switch via,” he acknowledged. “I didn’t fill any security in anyway as I drove via the empty streets. There had been no police, no other folks. Simplest ambulances were on the facet road and no different automobiles. The roads were on fire and we went via this.”
Masum Hossain used to be describing his experiences in some unspecified time in the future of the mass riot that toppled Sheikh Hasina, but additionally seen the smash of around a thousand Bangladeshis by police, RAB, BGB, Jubo League, and Chhatra League.
Ambulances were shot at too. Nevertheless I didn’t get dangle of vexed. I was no longer born in some unspecified time in the future of 1971. I surely fill viewed many types of violence, but no longer adore this. I carried victims with gunshots to the leer. My hands, my feet, my total physique were soaked in blood.
Within the absence of adequate emergency autos, in Dhaka metropolis, dead bodies and the wounded were transported via rickshaws, trucks, and CNG-pushed auto rickshaws. Nevertheless ambulance drivers also conducted a project in numerous areas as regards to DMCH and battlegrounds adore Jatrabari, Rayerbag, and heaps others.
“On 5 August, the anxiety on this status [DMCH and its surroundings] used to be excessive. College students were coming from Chankharpool. When they reached this status, police started shooting them from the Shahid Minar. College students at that point entered the sanatorium to place their lives. They shot other folks in front of us,” Masum recounted.
Mohammad Shafiq, one more driver, added, “They didn’t indiscriminate. They shot younger other folks on the roof; there used to be no straightforward project about who they would shoot help then.”
Haji Sirajul Islam Khokon, an aged ambulance driver, used to be carrying a affected person from the Jatrabari status in some unspecified time in the future in some unspecified time in the future of the protests.
“A bullet whizzed past my chest. My automobile’s door used to be initiate. It factual occurred within the blink of an leer,” he acknowledged. “I surely fill below no situations skilled such an component in my life. I was trembling in apprehension and shock.”
Mohammad Akash used to be within the Rayerbag status on 4 August.
He used to be transporting three students, all gunshot victims, at a time. Some were shot within the eyes, some within the chest.
“My automobile used to be bathing in blood. My stretcher used to be fleshy of blood. I washed the blood and raced again to return. I seen many gunshot victims there,” Akash acknowledged.
Mohammad Shafiq acknowledged they failed to care about cash or their lives.
Akash acknowledged he failed to take cash from anybody this capability that of, “Everyone used to be there to free our country.”
One other ambulance driver Illius took a female dead physique — with a headshot afflict — to Dhamrai. He also transported one more dead physique of a pupil who used to be shot dead to Barishal on 4 August.
He acknowledged he had below no situations viewed the leisure adore this in his life.
“I felt awful about how they were shooting and killing other folks. They even shot other folks interior our Dhaka Clinical [DMCH] too. I’m an ambulance driver and I’m former to carrying dead bodies. Nevertheless it absolutely felt different this time. Nevertheless what attain we attain? Here’s my profession,” Illius acknowledged.
The anxiety used to be very unhealthy, Akash described, terming it “a total warzone”.
“Ambulances were shot at too. Nevertheless I didn’t get dangle of vexed. I was no longer born in some unspecified time in the future of 1971. I surely fill viewed many types of violence, but no longer adore this. I carried victims with gunshots to the leer. My hands, my feet, my total physique used to be soaked in blood,” Akash added.
