NILIMA JAHAN

On July 18, Dhanmondi-27 had become one of the flashpoints when protesters took to the streets to enforce the “complete shutdown” called by the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.

As violent clashes broke out between the demonstrators and police, who were backed by the then ruling party activists, the roads and alleyways had turned into a warzone, resulting in deaths and myriad injuries.

However, many of those wounded were too afraid to seek medical help.

Cops were stationed in front of a number of hospitals, causing a fear of arrest in anyone who sought treatment. Many were overwhelmed with patients while others refused to provide treatment. Some charged exorbitant fees.

Amid the bloody violence, two young doctors – Dr Worthy Jukhrif and Dr Hritisha Aktar Mitheen – stood out through their sheer sense of duty.

Not only did they open their doors to the wounded, they converted their building’s garage on Satmasjid Road into a makeshift clinic.

Other residents provided ample support with supplies -- bandages, antiseptics, orsaline, mineral water, and even dry biscuits.

In two days, Worthy and Mitheen treated over 100 injured people -- turning the garage into a sanctuary for those who had nowhere else to turn.

DUTY TO THE PEOPLE

Around 2:00pm on July 18, as clashes went on, tear gas clouded the streets and nearby alleys, while rubber bullets were strewn almost everywhere.

“For the first time in my life, I heard the sound of bullets. Something I had only seen or heard on television was now frighteningly close,” remembered Worthy, who is an OT assistant at Ibn Sina Hospital and also works as a health show presenter on a private television channel.

From her balcony, she saw injured students huddled below -- bloodstains on their clothes, terror in their eyes.

“I knew I couldn’t just stand by.”

She rushed downstairs, where fellow residents -- including Dr Mitheen, a former medical officer at Labaid Specialised Hospital -- had also gathered.

“Humanity is what I acted upon. I couldn’t hold myself back,” said Mitheen.

Residents of the building quickly At

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