Time to Act: A one-stop solution for uprising victims is moral imperative

A recent report in The Daily Star details bureaucratic hurdles that July uprising victims face in order to be recognised and compensated.

Rather than arriving at their doorsteps [or hospital beds] with gratitude, the state sends them from one office to another, from one city to another.

In a twist of irony, a frustrated survivor said he would rather have died. The injured protester had told me, "I wish I had died rather than having to go through all this."

These words serve as an indictment for the government, the so called Bangladesh 2.0, which came into existence on the backs of their sacrifices.

The current approach, forcing survivors or martyr families to gather the documents and travel from one city to another, reveals an utter lack of empathy and foresight. The July uprising heroes are not beggars asking for charity. The compensation promised to them is not a gift but a recognition and the least we could do. It is a fundamental duty of the state to ensure these payments are delivered swiftly and efficiently. Instead, the victims are treated as though they must prove their worth before anyone lifts a finger.

The health minister's recent comments on this issue are emblematic of the insensitivity at play.

She provided details of the crores spent on the treatment of a few of the injured. This is deeply tone-deaf. This framing turns what should be an obligation of the state into a narrative of benevolence, as though the government's actions are acts of generosity rather than duty. It is as though the quantum of money is synonymous to sincerity.

A clear and effective solution lies in establishing one-stop service centres for processing compensation claims so that survivors or martyr families do not have to shuttle between hospitals, civil surgeon or DC offices, and the July foundation.

The inefficiencies and insensitivity of the current system are unacceptable.

Victims like Omar Faruk, Akash Bepari's wife Lucky, and countless others deserve better. They should not have to beg on the streets, spend nights at railway stations, or make repeated, fruitless visits to unresponsive offices.

The state has failed them first by killing or incapacitating their loved ones, and now, it continues to fail them by delaying their recognition.

It is time for the government to act decisively.

The need for the hour is a system that works for the victims, not against them.