On brink of losing lights

Siddiqur Rahman, who suffered serious eye injuries during a police action at Shahbagh on Thursday, stands little chance of full recovery, doctors say as efforts are on to have his eyesight back to normal.

“The chances of his full recovery are slim,” Associate Professor Dr Iftekhar Md Munir of the National Institute of Ophthalmology said following a surgery on the victim's right eye yesterday.  

Siddiqur, a third-year political science student at Titumir College, suffered injuries in both eyes when police lobbed a teargas shell on the students of seven colleges, who were demonstrating for the announcement of their examination schedules.

Police claimed he was wounded when hit by objects thrown by the demonstrators.

However, Dhaka's police chief Asaduzzaman Mia yesterday said they will take action after investigating how the student was injured.

A video clip available on social media shows that a scuffle broke out as police tried to snatch away a banner from the protesters. Siddiqur was standing aside. As he ran to the front, a policeman fired teargas and he fell down.

Talking to The Daily Star, Dr Iftekhar said a five-member medical board has initiated the treatment of Siddiqur. “His one eye has been surgically repaired and the other washed.”

But he would need treatment for a prolonged period, said Dr Iftekhar, who is a member of the medical board.

“Some contents of sclera (white part) of Siddiqur's right eye had come out and we fixed that today [yesterday]. The structure inside his left eye was disorganised,” he said, adding they washed out the blood in the left eye.

The physician added Siddiqur got a “blunt” injury in his eyes which were hit by some thick and heavy objects. His eyes and face were swollen due to the injury.

Asked how much hope he holds for Siddiqur's eyesight, he said, “[Those are] severely traumatised eyes. How much of it [eyesight] will be back we don't know.”     

Asked whether Siddiqur needs to be taken abroad for better treatment, Iftekhar said the medical board will decide the next course of treatment, adding that they are making the highest possible effort.

FAMILY APPEALS FOR HELP

Member of a poor family of Tarakanda in Mymensingh, Siddiqur lost his father at only three. His elder brother Nayeb Ali left studies after HSC exams to support the family.

Nayeb, a labourer who offloads iron rods from trucks and carries those to warehouse, pins high hopes on his brother. He believes with Siddiqur graduating soon, the family would see better days.

“We had to sell our last piece of land for the education of Siddiqur,” said his mother Solema Khatun while talking with reporters at the NIO.

The sixty-year-old now only sees dark days ahead.

“We are very poor and we have no place to go. I urge our prime minister to be kind enough to help Siddiqur…” Solema Khatun appeals for her son as tears welled up in her eyes.

Siddiqur used to live at a rented room in Khilkhet and bear his expenses by private tutoring.

His friends are trying to collect funds for his treatment.

“We are trying our best to help our friend, but it is not enough ...” said Shah Ali, a student at Titumir.

'CONTRADICTORY STATEMENTS'

Terming the statements over the eye injuries of Siddiqur “contradictory”, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia yesterday said, “Police claimed the college student might have been hurt by a heavy object hurled by his fellows when law enforcers tried to disperse them by firing teargas canisters. On the other hand, the students alleged that Siddiqur was wounded by a teargas shell.

“We will take proper actions after investigating the incident.”

Law enforcers lobbed teargas shells after they failed to persuade the agitating students to leave Shahbagh intersection, Asaduzzaman said. “Police only took action when the students attempted to vandalise vehicles.”

After the incident, Shahbagh police filed a case against around 1,200 unnamed students of the seven government colleges on charges of attempting to kill policemen, rioting with lethal weapons and damaging property.

Witnesses and students say the allegations are false. Some onlookers, who witnessed the protest at Shahbagh, saw no brick chips or sticks, let alone any arms, in the hands of the protesters.

The other charges include obstructing police from discharging duties and holding unlawful assembly.

Meanwhile, the students of the seven colleges held protest rallies on their campuses and in Nilkhet and the Jatiya Press Club areas.

They demanded action against the policeman who was seen firing a teargas shell at close range, injuring Siddiqur.

They also issued an ultimatum to the authorities to meet their demands by July 25. Otherwise, they will go on a tougher movement from a July 26 rally in the capital.

The students demand withdrawal of the case against the students, punishment of the law enforcers involved in excesses and proper treatment and rehabilitation of Siddiqur.

Following the protests on Thursday, the authorities of the colleges -- Dhaka College, Eden Mohila College, Government Shaheed Suhrawardy College, Kabi Nazrul Government College, Begum Badrunnesa Government Mohila College, Mirpur Government Bangla College and Government Titumir College -- announced the exam schedules.

The colleges became affiliated with Dhaka University on February 16.

Meanwhile at a press conference, the BNP condemned filing of the attempt-to-murder case against the demonstrating students and demanded the government withdraw it immediately.