Violence and trauma towards children and adolescents in the July Mass Uprising (2024) in Bangladesh: a socio-demographic analysis of 89 deaths

Abstract

Background: Bangladesh has experienced a mass uprising that resulted in deaths, injuries, and trauma, ended with the ousting of an autocratic government on 05 August 2024. People from all spheres of life have experienced violence and trauma, including children and adolescents.

Objectives: We aimed to report the socio-demography of 89 children killed in the mass uprising in Bangladesh in July-August 2024.

Methods: We extracted the data of this report from a widely circulated Bangla national daily newspaper. We extracted name, age, occupation, place of death, and district of killing. 

Results: The mean (SD) age of the deceased was 15.2 (±2.6) years, ranging from 4-17 years. Among the 89 deaths, there were bullet wounds in 79 children, 9 died by burn, and one died by splinter; 56 deaths happened during 18 July- 4 August, and 31 deaths happened after 5 August, 2024; 58 deaths happened in Dhaka, and 31 deaths happened in districts outside Dhaka. Among the adolescents, 42 were students, and 29 were involved in child labor. Deaths happened in 16 districts in Bangladesh.

Conclusions: This analysis revealed that about 90% of the adolescents were killed by bullets, indicating the spectrum of armed conflict. Dhaka was the center of violence that resulted in the killing of adolescents. Local, regional, and international human rights agencies should ensure initiatives to prevent such killings of children during any mass protest elsewhere in the world.