Health experts emphasised the urgent need to establish a task force of professionals skilled in mental health care to address the psychological challenges faced by the 22,000 injured during the July mass uprising. Among them, 587 have sustained permanent disabilities, over a thousand have lost their vision, and many are experiencing severe mental distress, struggling with depression and an inability to lead normal lives.

They stressed these concerns while speaking at a seminar titled "Mental Health Crisis: Dealing with Post-July Revolutionary Aspects" organised by the volunteer organisation Anchol Foundation at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity in the capital today (12 December).

Dr Kamal Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury, a professor in the Psychology department at Dhaka University, presented the keynote paper.

He highlighted the resource constraints in the mental health sector and proposed future action plans.

Dr Kamal Uddin said that over 1,423 people lost their lives and more than 22,000 were injured in the uprising, a significant number of whom were students, children, and adolescents.

He further talked about the prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the aftermath of the uprising, explaining that this severe mental health condition often results from intense grief or trauma. PTSD disrupts daily life, deteriorates social relationships, causes disinterest in studies, and reduces workplace productivity.