He can’t see with right eye

He cannot see with his right eye at the moment. The left eye responded to light once or twice when doctors removed the bandage yesterday. There is still a chance, however slim, that his left eye will recover, but nothing can be said for sure about the other eye.

This is how doctors described the condition of Titumir College student Siddiqur Rahman, 23, whose both eyes were damaged in police action last week.

“The condition of his right eye is worse [than the left one]. Until Saturday, he couldn't see with the left eye either. But today [yesterday] he once said he could see a little. But then he said he couldn't anymore,” said Dr Iftekhar Md Munir of the National Institute of Ophthalmology, where he is being treated.

“This is a positive development [that his left eye is responding to light]. If he doesn't see any light, we won't have anything to do,” he said. “We can say that we are hopeful about his left eye. He might need another surgery later.”

Both of his eyeballs have been damaged but the nerves that connect eyes with the brain are intact, said Iftekhar, citing MRI report.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid visited Siddiqur at the hospital yesterday and consoled his family members. He also talked with the doctors to learn about his condition. 

The third-year student of political science 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 at Shahbagh on Thursday.

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

A video clip available on social media shows that a scuffle broke out when police tried to snatch away a banner from the students. Siddiqur was standing aside. As he ran to the front, a policeman fired a teargas shell and he collapsed to the ground.

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.

After visiting Siddiqur, the education minister told reporters that he already informed the PM about the situation regarding the seven colleges.

He added they were taking initiatives to solve the problem.

STUDENTS' PROTEST FOILED 

Chhatra League men foiled the human chain by the Titumir College students, demanding proper treatment of Siddiqur, yesterday.

The BCL men termed their programme “anti-government” and warned the students against continuing with their movement or else they (the BCL) would have the protestors arrested by labeling them as Jamaat-Shibir supporters.

Over 100 students of Titumir College gathered in front of the college in Mohakhali around 10:00am.

But a group of BCL men and police did not allow them to assemble there. The students then moved to Amtoli in the same area and formed a human chain, demanding withdrawal of the case against the students, punishment of the law enforcers involved in committing excesses and proper treatment of Siddiqur, demonstrators said. 

They also demanded Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's intervention in his treatment.

The BCL men led by Titumir College unit President Kazi Mirazul Islam Dollar and General Secretary Manik Hossain asked them to clear the area immediately, several students alleged.

“The Chhatra League men also threatened to label us as Jamaat-Shibir supporters and have us arrested,” said a protester, asking not to be identified, fearing retribution from the pro-ruling Awami League student body. “Some of us were taken inside the college forcibly.”

“We came to the college for a peaceful and logical protest for our friend. But they did not allow us to gather,” said another student. 

Dollar denied all the allegations, saying they simply asked the students not to hold the protest programme as some "opportunist groups" may create unrest centring on the issue.

He said the college authorities along with the students were raising fund for Siddiqur. "Those who are protesting outside the campus may have some other motivation against the government.”

Students of Kabi Nazrul Government College also said police obstructed their protest programme on their campus.

'NOT OUT REPRESENTATIVES'

In another development, the agitating students claimed that the students' representatives who met with DU Vice-chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique yesterday did not represent them.

Students of the seven colleges alleged that the principals of their institutions handpicked some “representatives” for the meeting, instead of sending the “actual representatives”.

Rasel Sarker, a master's student at Dhaka College, said those who took part in the meeting were not involved in organising the protest to press home an eight-point demand, including the announcement of their exam dates. 

Riaz Mahmud, an organiser from Titumir College, gave similar statements.

After over an hour-long meeting with the VC that began around 2:00pm, the representatives, however, said they did not receive any clear assurance of having their demands met.

POLICE FORM PROBE BODY 

Police yesterday formed two committees to investigate Thursday's incident.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police formed a three-member committee led by its Joint Commissioner (operation) Mir Rezaul Alam.

Its Ramna Division, under which the incident happened, formed another committee led by Additional Deputy Commissioner Nabid Kamal Shaibal.

The committees have been asked to submit their reports in three working days.

'EVERYTHING'S BLEAK NOW'

Siddiqur, from Tarakanda in Mymensingh, lost his father when he was just three. His elder brother Nayeb Ali left studies after HSC to support the poor family.

Nayeb, a day labourer, had high hopes about his brother and thought the family would see better days after Siddiqur's graduation. 

The family had to sell the last piece of its land to pay for his education, Siddiqur's mother Solema Khatun, 60, told reporters on Saturday. 

Talking to reporters yesterday, Nayeb said Siddiqur told him to wait for two more years as he would be graduating by then.

“He was supposed to take charge of the family … but everything is bleak now,” he said, seeking the prime minister's intervention.