Eye injuries in Bangladesh's 2024 student-led mass uprising: A public health crisis unfolds.

Abstract

The 2024 student-led job quota reform protests in Bangladesh, initially peaceful, escalated into a nationwide uprising. The government responded with excessive force, leading to widespread violence, including severe eye injuries to hundreds of protesters. This study investigates the causes, consequences, and medical responses to these eye injuries, which resulted in lasting physical, psychological, and economic impacts on the victims using secondary data, including reports from human rights organizations, hospital records, and media sources. Victim testimonies were collected from published sources to assess the immediate and long-term effects. A total of 647 individuals sustained severe eye injuries during the protests. The use of pellet bullets by law enforcement was the primary cause. Hospitals reported over 1,300 eye injury cases, with more than 90% of those who underwent surgery and 550 lost vision in one or both eyes. This movement resulted in devastating eye injuries for hundreds of young men, with long-lasting physical and economic impacts. Victims, many of whom were breadwinners, faced significant challenges in receiving adequate medical treatment and long-term rehabilitation. Immediate governmental intervention is needed to ensure their inclusion in the rebuilding of post-uprising Bangladesh.