"Far more violence has been done in obeying the law than in breaking the law."
That famous saying by Robert Frost rang true when the Awami League government, after 15 years of rule, ordered law enforcers to crack down on the anti-discrimination protests.
Consequently, in July 2024, upholders of the law became the lawbreakers, causing the deaths of at least 1,400 people and leaving thousands injured, according to the UN.
The unlawful use of both lethal and less lethal weapons by law enforcement was the primary cause. Research found that police used rubber bullets, shotguns, tear gas shells and live rounds.
According to government reports, at least 647 individuals sustained severe eye injuries during the protests.
Hospitals reported over 1,300 cases of eye injury, with 630 requiring surgery.
At the National Institute of Ophthalmology alone, 382 patients lost vision in one eye and 19 in both. Stream spoke about their present condition.
Peppered with pellets
Omor Faruk was a student. On 5 August, he was shot indiscriminately in front of the Ansar headquarters in Gazipur, with bullets hitting both eyes, leaving him blind.
To this day, dozens of pellets are lodged in his body.
At first, he was admitted to Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Hospital, but did not receive adequate treatment.
Eventually, he was shifted to the National Institute of Ophthalmology.
Speaking to Stream from his home in Bogura, Omor said specialists told him there were several pellets lodged in his head and removing them through surgery would only worsen his condition.
Even so, four pellets were removed from his head, which worsened his physical condition.
As a result, he was reluctant to undergo any further surgeries. Still, he went under the knife three more times by 24 August.
Stream asked him about the last thing he remembers seeing.
"I saw the police officer's devilish smile while shooting the protesters. Then the bullet hit my eyes. From that moment, I cannot see."
When asked if his aspirations had been fulfilled, he replied, "How can I say when I cannot see, cannot go anywhere, cannot do anything? But the fascist was dethroned.
"At that time, our prime concern was the fall of the regime. Nothing else. But now I want the government to place an emphasis on rebuilding the nation and bring back a peaceful nation for the greater good of our country. The rehabilitation of the injured and respect for the martyrs should be prioritised more. We are seeking help from the government."
He was aided by the July Foundation, but he urged the state not to forget them or the families of martyrs.
'The country has changed, but I cannot see it'
On 5 August, after Hasina fled, Amzad Hossain, a 21-year-old embroidery worker, went to join the victory procession in the capital's Jatrabari. He used to work in Gulistan, near his residence in Shonir Akhra.
He was first shot in the leg and fell to the pavement. Unable to run away, he became an easy target for the police.
"They shot directly at my head, and my vision darkened. Two injured brothers were shot and fell by my side. That is the last thing I saw."
He said several pellets are still lodged in his head, whereas his body is covered with dozens more.
Doctors said operating on the brain to remove the pellets would cause severe injury.
Now, he can hardly speak, let alone walk.
As he was the primary earner in his family, his current state has caused immense financial strain.
His family now survives on his younger brother's earnings and support from the July Foundation.
"Everyone can talk freely now, but I cannot even go outside to speak with anyone. I just wanted to know if one of my eyes could get better, but doctors said it is not possible. So I hope the government will rehabilitate all the blind and injured brothers of ours. We want to earn our living by doing something. "
A homemaker left without any aspirations
Nilu Parvin, a 35-year-old homemaker, used to teach Arabic in the Mohammadpur area of Dhaka. Her family consists of her husband, who is a rickshaw-puller, and two children.
Before 4 August, she had not gone to tutor her students for four days.
That day, she went to Mohammadpur's Beribadh area and, while coming back to the Geneva camp, she got stuck in the protest.
She saw the police firing on the students, but suddenly fell senseless after being hit by a bullet to her head.
Two women rescued her and took her to the hospital. Since then, she has lived in darkness.
Sometimes she is jolted by extreme pain.
Asked about her current aspirations, she said that she was not the only one left blinded.
She pleaded with the government to rehabilitate all those with injuries to their eyes to ensure they do not become burdens for their families or society.
She added that the district office and the July Foundation helped her.
"Before this injury, I was poor but content. My husband and I could take care of our family properly. I did not lose hope then, but now I have lost my aspirations."
'Civil society remains the same'
Shah Sin, a businessman from Keraniganj, was shot while protesting in Jatrabari on 5 August.
Although his treatment was fully funded by the government, his left eye could not be saved.
He got some financial support from the district office, but could not secure financial aid from the July Foundation.
Stream asked whether his expectations from the uprising were fulfilled.
He replied with a sigh, "Civil society remains the same. Their lives never change."
He hoped the government would consider the plight of the common people who have lost organs during July.
'Can you pull a rickshaw with a bullet lodged in your head?'
Kalu Mia, a rickshaw-puller from Mirpur 13, participated in the protests on July 18. One of his retinas was torn by a bullet fired by police, he told Stream.
Now, he cannot navigate the roads on his rickshaw due to poor eyesight. He has an extended family but cannot earn as before. He expects that the government will help to compensate all the injured from the July movement.
'We sacrificed ourselves, but some people could not sacrifice their greed'
Abu Saleh, a student from Sylhet, suffered gunshot wounds on 4 August 2024.
As law enforcers had fired tear gas canisters, he could not see the police approaching amidst the chaos. While running away, he fell to the ground, and dozens of pellets pierced his body.
He lost sight in his right eye, and while light reaches the retina in his left eye, the optic nerve is only partially functional. This means he can barely see.
Although he was a student, he is now unable to do anything.
"We sacrificed ourselves, but some people could not sacrifice their greed. We wanted to change the system that allows for corruption, but our leaders have become a part of that corrupt system. Only the people in power have changed, corruption has not been eliminated, and the practice of power remains unchanged," he lamented.
"The interim government has taken power to reconstruct the system, but did not prioritise July and did not even declare the July Declaration [this interview was conducted on 1 August, before the July Declaration was made on 5 August]."
Saleh also stated, "I want proper rehabilitation for the July martyrs and the injured. Since I live in Sylhet, the cost of transportation and accommodation in Dhaka exceeds Tk 1 lakh. Therefore, the financial support provided by the government in two instalments has been inadequate. I hope those injured in July will not become a burden on society or their families."
'Three people were shot dead before my eyes'
Rabbi, a 21-year-old businessman, lives in Geneva Camp. On 5 August, the army chief was scheduled to hold a live press conference, in which he would announce that Sheikh Hasina had resigned.
At that time, Rabbi went out to find his brother near Adabor but met only a bullet. Three others were shot dead in front of his eyes, he recalls.
He went to the hospital but found little help. The doctor said the bullet was removed, but pain throbbed in his body and eyes.
On 18 August, an X-ray revealed he had been shot in his left eye. Then he went to Islamia Hospital and had to undergo surgery three times to remove the bullet. But it cost him sight in his left eye. He got financial aid from the district office for rehabilitation. "I cannot sit in the light nor work under direct light. I lost my eye, but the country also changed. That is my satisfaction."
Dreams haunted by bloody memories
Sumaiya Akter Sumona is a housewife who lives in Mirpur 10.
During the height of the movement, she was helping the students by handing out water on 20 July.
Suddenly police started firing, and a pellet hit her eye.
She was taken to OSB hospital but was refused treatment.
Then she went to the National Institute of Ophthalmology and was operated on immediately.
She gets incentives now for the injury, but her wounds have still not healed. She still feels sudden bursts of pain in her head. She said the government and the July Foundation have helped her.
Her memories of July feature some of the most horrible experiences of her entire life.
The bloodied bodies of students and the sounds of grenades and guns still haunt her dreams.
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