Bangladesh

Shot, blinded, abandoned

Saidul’s story mirrors plight of the forgotten heroes of July uprising
Saidul Islam protest victim story

Saidul Islam, a 25-year-old from Dashmina upazila in Patuakhali, once dreamed of building a stable life for his family. But the light of that dream has been extinguished -- both figuratively and literally.

Saidul lost his eyesight and his livelihood after shotgun pellets lodged in his body during a demonstration in Dhaka's Jatrabari.

Like all the martyrs and injured of the July uprising, his story is one of struggle, despair, and the unforgiving consequences of standing up against oppression.

Blinded and impoverished after being struck by over 50 shotgun pellets during a protest, Saidul Islam lost not only his vision but also his livelihood, and his hope for a better future, leaving him in desperate need of support.

Saidul, the eldest son of Mohammad Mridha, was born into a poor family in Banshbaria village.

Unable to afford further education, he migrated to Dhaka, where he earned a modest living as a driver of a battery-run auto-rickshaw.

Life was hard, but Saidul managed to provide for his wife, Panna Akhter, and their one-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Sumaiya.

But everything changed on August 5.

Saidul, compelled by his desire for change, joined the anti-government protests aimed at toppling Sheikh Hasina's regime. During the protests in Jatrabari, he was struck by over 50 pellets when police opened fire. His left eye was completely blinded, and splinters remain embedded in other parts of his body to this day.

He spent two weeks in hospitals -- the Dhaka Medical College Hospital and the National Institute of Ophthalmology -- undergoing surgeries and treatment. However, despite these efforts, his vision could not be saved, leaving him permanently blind in one eye and struggling with excruciating pain.

LIFE AFTER PROTESTS

Upon his release, Saidul's life began to unravel further.

Unable to work, he returned to Banshbaria to live with his ageing parents. Poverty tightened its grip on his already struggling family.

The final blow came last Thursday when his wife divorced him, taking their young daughter with her. "I have no income and can't provide for my family. My wife couldn't bear it anymore," Saidul said.

"I am living a miserable life. The pain from the splinters is unbearable, and my blindness has taken away my independence," he added, in tears.

FUTILE CALLS FOR ASSISTANCE

Saidul says he has applied to various government offices for assistance but has yet to receive any meaningful support.

"I've knocked on many doors, but no one has responded. I am in desperate need of financial aid to survive and seek further treatment," he said.

Dashmina Upazila Executive Officer Irtiza Hasan said that if Saidul submits a formal application, the local administration would facilitate help through social services and the deputy commissioner's office.

However, such promises often ring hollow for many, like Saidul, trapped in bureaucratic limbo.

Comments

Shot, blinded, abandoned

Saidul’s story mirrors plight of the forgotten heroes of July uprising
Saidul Islam protest victim story

Saidul Islam, a 25-year-old from Dashmina upazila in Patuakhali, once dreamed of building a stable life for his family. But the light of that dream has been extinguished -- both figuratively and literally.

Saidul lost his eyesight and his livelihood after shotgun pellets lodged in his body during a demonstration in Dhaka's Jatrabari.

Like all the martyrs and injured of the July uprising, his story is one of struggle, despair, and the unforgiving consequences of standing up against oppression.

Blinded and impoverished after being struck by over 50 shotgun pellets during a protest, Saidul Islam lost not only his vision but also his livelihood, and his hope for a better future, leaving him in desperate need of support.

Saidul, the eldest son of Mohammad Mridha, was born into a poor family in Banshbaria village.

Unable to afford further education, he migrated to Dhaka, where he earned a modest living as a driver of a battery-run auto-rickshaw.

Life was hard, but Saidul managed to provide for his wife, Panna Akhter, and their one-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Sumaiya.

But everything changed on August 5.

Saidul, compelled by his desire for change, joined the anti-government protests aimed at toppling Sheikh Hasina's regime. During the protests in Jatrabari, he was struck by over 50 pellets when police opened fire. His left eye was completely blinded, and splinters remain embedded in other parts of his body to this day.

He spent two weeks in hospitals -- the Dhaka Medical College Hospital and the National Institute of Ophthalmology -- undergoing surgeries and treatment. However, despite these efforts, his vision could not be saved, leaving him permanently blind in one eye and struggling with excruciating pain.

LIFE AFTER PROTESTS

Upon his release, Saidul's life began to unravel further.

Unable to work, he returned to Banshbaria to live with his ageing parents. Poverty tightened its grip on his already struggling family.

The final blow came last Thursday when his wife divorced him, taking their young daughter with her. "I have no income and can't provide for my family. My wife couldn't bear it anymore," Saidul said.

"I am living a miserable life. The pain from the splinters is unbearable, and my blindness has taken away my independence," he added, in tears.

FUTILE CALLS FOR ASSISTANCE

Saidul says he has applied to various government offices for assistance but has yet to receive any meaningful support.

"I've knocked on many doors, but no one has responded. I am in desperate need of financial aid to survive and seek further treatment," he said.

Dashmina Upazila Executive Officer Irtiza Hasan said that if Saidul submits a formal application, the local administration would facilitate help through social services and the deputy commissioner's office.

However, such promises often ring hollow for many, like Saidul, trapped in bureaucratic limbo.

Comments

আন্তর্জাতিক অপরাধ ট্রাইব্যুনাল, জুলাই গণঅভ্যুত্থান, জুনাইদ আহমেদ পলক, শেখ হাসিনা, ইন্টারনেট শাটডাউন,

শেখ হাসিনার নির্দেশে সারাদেশে ইন্টারনেট বন্ধ করা হয়, পলকের স্বীকারোক্তি 

চিফ প্রসিকিউটর মো. তাজুল ইসলাম বলেন, আন্দোলনের সময় গণহত্যার তথ্য বিশ্বের কাছ থেকে আড়াল করতে ইন্টারনেট শাটডাউন করা হয়।

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