Medical board formed to follow up Siddiqur’s treatment

A five-member medical board was formed this evening to follow up the treatment of Titumir College student Siddiqur Rahman, whose eyes were damaged in “police excess” during a demonstration in Shahbagh on July 20.

National Institute of Ophthalmology (NIO) authorities formed the medical board with Dr Dipak Kumar Nath, Dr Golam Haidar, Dr Iftekhar Md Munir, Dr Saifullah and Dr Shaymol Kumar, NIO Director Dr Golam Mostafa confirmed The Daily Star.

READ MORE: Siddiqur back home, wants justice

“The medical board will follow up Siddiqur’s treatment and observe his condition further,” Dr Golam said.

Siddiqur, 23, a third-year political science student, suffered injuries in both eyes when police lobbed a teargas shell directly on the students of seven colleges [affiliated with Dhaka University], who were demonstrating for the announcement of their examination schedules.

READ MORE: Batons, teargas not enough

After treating at the NIO for a week, Siddiqur was then taken to Sankara Nethralaya at India’s Chennai on July 27. The government is bearing his medical costs.

With no hope of improvement, Siddiqur came back home on Friday.

Member of a poor family of Tarakanda in Mymensingh, Siddiqur cannot see with his right eye. He perceived little light after the bandage of his left eye was removed on August 5 after a surgery in India, according to the doctors.

READ MORE: Treatment of Eyes: Siddiqur to be flown to India

Doctors saw “little hope” and said it may take six weeks to know about Siddiqur’s visual outcome.