Desk Report,
Most deaths are among laborers
Among those who lost their lives in the July uprising, working people are at the top. At least 284 working people were martyred in the uprising.
Most deaths are among laborers
Workers from both the formal and informal sectors, such as daily wage workers, rickshaw pullers, van drivers, CNG-powered autorickshaw drivers, truck driver-assistant drivers, shopkeepers, restaurant employees, and garment factory workers, gave their lives in the uprising. Prothom Alo has collected specific information about 810 of the 844 people whose names appear in the list of martyrs in the government gazette. Prothom Alo has spoken to the families of each of them.
Based on the information provided by the families of the martyrs, an analysis by occupation and age has shown that after working people, students have died the most—269. Again, a significant portion of those who lost their lives among the students are under the age of 18. Students under the age of 18 in schools, colleges, and madrasas were at the forefront of the movement. Prothom Alo’s investigation has shown that at least 133 children died in the mass uprising. After workers and students, small and medium businessmen died the most. At least 120 small and medium businessmen died in the mass uprising. Next are private sector employees—the number is 108.
The mass uprising was led by students. Later, people from almost all classes and professions across the country joined the students’ movement to eliminate discrimination. The official list of martyrs also makes this clear.
Prothom Alo’s analysis shows that 35 percent of those who were martyred were workers, 33 percent were students, 15 percent were small and medium businessmen, and 13 percent were private sector employees. Deaths of people under the age of 35 are more frequent
Of those killed during the July mass uprising, 79 percent were under the age of 35. That is 638 in number. Again, children under the age of 18 accounted for about 17 percent of the dead. On the other hand, most people died from fatal gunshots. Apart from this, there have been cases of stabbing, beating and burning to death.
Analysis of death data shows that there are people from 4 years old to 70 years old. In population analysis, people between the ages of 15 and 64 are generally considered to be able-bodied.
Out of the 844 martyrs, the information collected by Prothom Alo shows that 810 people were between the ages of 15 and 64. That is, 95 percent of those who died were able-bodied at the time.
Employment was a major issue behind the movement that started the July mass uprising. There were also issues of unemployment, discrimination and inequality. Therefore, able-bodied people spontaneously participated in that movement. This is also seen in the analysis of death data. The death of so many able-bodied people is a great loss for any country.
