Hartal Violence
Bomb splinters damage worker’s eye
A painting worker became yet another victim of political violence on Monday, the second day of the 60-hour general strike being enforced by Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led alliance.
The victim, Abdur Rahman, 40, is feared to lose his left eye permanently due to injuries he received from splinters of a crude bomb blasted during the general strike.
He was admitted at National Institute of Ophthalmology at Sher-e-Banglanagar.
Rahman’s brother Rafiqul Islam told New Age that more than 50 day labours gathered at Raysaheb Bazar at about 10:30am.
He said, ‘Suddenly, few people exploded crude bombs and fled the spot. At that moment, Rahman’s left eye was badly injured by splinters.’
Critically injured Rahman was rushed to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital where emergency doctor Al-Mahmud Lemon gave him first aid.
Mahmud said some of the splinters had hurt Rahman’s left eye and his cornea might have been permanently damaged.
He was referred to National Institute of Ophthalmology, but with merely Tk 20 in pocket, he was unable to go there. Later, some of officials at the hospital hired a CNG-run auto-rickshaw and sent him to the institute.
Lying in the bed at word No 442, Rahman lamented, ‘What was my fault. I am not in favour or against of any political party. Why common people like us would become victims of such turmoil?’
With five members in family, he is the only earning person. He worried about his livelihood.
National Institute of Ophthalmology associate professor Hasibul Hasan said that it is almost impossible to restore the vision of Rahman’s left eye.
-With New Age input
