Ashraful, who was shot in the eye, is not being treated due to lack of money
October 3, 20245 Mins Read
Jumbangla Desk: Ashraful Islam (34). He was shot in the right eye during the anti-discrimination student movement. The right eye has no sight at all, has gone blind. Other eye is fine but vision in left eye is gradually decreasing. Must wear dark glasses at all times. A headache starts after talking a little.
Bus worker Ashraful Islam, son of Akkas Ali of North Sheikhpura Mohalla, Ward No. 7 of Dinajpur Municipality. On August 4, Ashraful Islam was shot dead in the anti-discrimination student movement in front of Sadar General Hospital in Dinajpur city. Now he is passing his days in a helpless condition at his home.
As Ashraful Islam is the sole breadwinner of the family, the family is now living a substandard life. His family consists of Ashraful Islam's wife Shamima Begum, daughter Jannatun (4) and son Siam Babu (3). Father Akkas Ali and mother Rasheda Begum.
On August 4, he was in front of the anti-discrimination student movement in Dinajpur when he was shot in the right eye. Besides, 20 to 22 bullets hit different parts of the body.
The doctor said, the bullet in the right eye is still there, it has been operated five times. Even then it was not possible to remove the bullet from the eye. So there is absolutely no vision in the right eye. The vision in the left eye has started to decrease. Several lakhs of rupees have already been borrowed to receive treatment.
Ashraful's wife Shamima Begum said, I have taken loans from some NGOs. Even though I could get treatment for my husband by borrowing money from close relatives, I am not able to get treatment now. I can't pay the installment of the association of NGOs. I can't sleep worrying about sick husband and children. Now in-laws are alive. Father-in-law is a day laborer, mother-in-law works in people's houses. I'm kind of fed up with a share of their earnings. But I can't buy medicine for my husband. If husband Ashraful gets better treatment, maybe one eye can be saved. The doctor said that the other eye is completely destroyed.
Ashraful Islam with family
Ashraful Islam's mother Rasheda Begum said, I have been fighting alone with this child of mine. Last August 4, my son Ashraful Islam left home during the anti-discrimination student movement in Dinajpur. He was a bus worker by profession. I came to know that my son Ashraful was shot at around one in the afternoon. I ran to Dinajpur General Hospital and saw that my son was not there. After that I came to know that Dinajpur M Abdur Rahim Medical College Hospital has been admitted. I went there and saw a boy lying on the floor with a saline. Eyes are bleeding. My son is screaming. The doctor was not there that day. After a long time a doctor was seen but he expressed his incapacity to treat the gunshot agitators of the movement. A day after that I was taken to Dinajpur eye hospital. There too the main gate of the eye hospital was locked. After going to a doctor's house and trying to take out my son's bullet by his hands and feet, he expressed his inability to take out the eyeball. On his advice, to save his son, he took him to an eye hospital in Dhaka. I hired a microbus for Tk 17,000 and took it to Malibag Eye Hospital in Dhaka. I could not get treatment there for money. At one point, they tried to remove the bullet from the boy's eye by requesting the director, but they could not remove the bullet either. Eye surgery is done five times one by one. But he still has the bullet in his eye. Now brought home. But due to lack of money, I can't get treatment now. So far I have not received any financial support from the government. My son's vision is deteriorating day by day. She has two young children. What will be their future? What should I do to treat my son? Such thoughts do not sleep at night. My chest bursts, I can't scream and tell anyone.
Ashraful Islam said, on August 4, suddenly, before I knew it, the bullets came towards me. Suddenly I see blurred eyes. Then my eyes were closed and I lost consciousness and fell on the road. Then someone picked me up and went to the hospital. I can't say anything after that. After two days, I regained consciousness and started crying with pain in my eyes. At one stage I was taken to Dhaka. Five operations were then performed. The doctor told me that a bullet entered my eye through the middle of the eyeball and stuck at the end of the eye. But I can't see anything with my right eye. Water is falling all the time. And even with the left eye I can see the daylight dimly. I can't buy medicine properly. Because I myself am a bus worker by profession. I can't work now. So there is no income. There is no point in buying medicine. So I can't get treatment. Looking at two small children, I burst into tears. I have lost the ability to buy food for two small children. I feel so helpless now and can't express myself in words. Maybe even if a bullet hit the chest that day, I could have left the world. Maybe this pain should not be suffered anymore. But looking at the little children has a great desire to live. But I remember one thing again and again that I managed to overthrow this dictatorial government. I wanted to breathe some fresh air. This dictatorial government has fled but his henchmen still remain. We have not been saved from them yet. Because wherever we go, those of us who have been injured in the anti-discrimination movement, are still not getting good treatment from them, let alone medical care. So I will tell this government along with the chief advisor that discrimination should not exist in the society anymore. I have lost one of my eyes, if necessary, with another eye, may good governance be established in the country.
