Monday’s Clashes: 92 bodies taken to hospitals

At least 92 bodies, including those of students and cops, were recovered in different parts of the country yesterday following Monday's violent clashes between protesters and police and attacks on various establishments, including police stations.

In some areas, mobs vandalised and set fire to the homes and offices of Awami League leaders and government establishments over the last two days.

In the capital, at least 63 bodies were brought to different hospitals yesterday following clashes between the protesters and police the previous day.

Among them, 20 bodies, including two of cops, were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), and 10 to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital.

According to hospital sources, most of the bodies bore marks of bullet wounds.

The DMCH allowed the families of the deceased to take away the bodies without conducting an autopsy.

Twelve more bullet-hit bodies were taken to Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital, said Abdul Ahad, ansar commander at the hospital.

They were killed after police opened fire at the protesters in Jatrabari and Bangshal areas, witnesses said.

Five bodies were taken to Uttara Adhunik Medical College Hospital.

Four charred bodies were found at the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum on Dhanmondi-32, which was vandalised and set on fire on Monday afternoon.

Around 10:15am yesterday, a correspondent of The Daily Star found that the bodies lying on the footpath in front of the museum.

Clashes broke out in some areas of the capital on Monday morning when law enforcers opened fire on the protesters who were trying to take part in the "March to Dhaka" programme defying curfew.

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets celebrating former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation in the afternoon. Around the same time, angry mobs attacked several police stations and buildings.

Police opened fire which caused most of the deaths.

Mobs also set fire to some police stations, leading to the deaths of several policemen. In some cases, cops were also beaten to death.

At least 12 bodies of police officers were taken to the Central Police Hospital in Rajarabagh as of 8:00pm yesterday, Rezaul Hyder, director of the hospital, told The Daily Star.

AKM Shahidur Rahman, additional inspector general of police, said they were still collecting information about how many cops died.

"Our teams are working to recover the bodies. We are yet to ascertain how many policemen are missing."

DEATHS OUTSIDE DHAKA

In Jashore, 11 more bodies were recovered yesterday from hotel Zabeer Jashore that was vandalised and set on fire by unidentified criminals on Monday afternoon.

With this, the death toll from the attack went up to 24, said AM Mamun, assistant director of Fire Service and Civil Defence.

The hotel, located at the district town's Chittar Mor, is owned by Jashore district Awami League General Secretary Shahin Chakladar.

In Noakhali, at least seven people, including three policemen, were killed in separate clashes between the demonstrators and police on Monday afternoon.

The clashes broke out when the agitators attacked Sonaimuri and Chatkhil police stations, said Md Asaduzzaman, superintendent of police in Noakhali.

Of the deceased, six died during the clash at Sonairmuri Police Station between 4:30pm and 6:30pm. Three of the deceased are policemen.

The SP, however, could not confirm how many people were killed in the clash at Chatkhil Police Station.

According to local journalists, at least one person was shot dead at Chatkhil.

The SP claimed that at least 15 policemen from the two police stations went missing after the clashes.