A photojournalist has lost his vision while capturing a clash between police and hartal picketers in capital’s Bangshal area on Saturday.
Currently admitted at National Institute of Eye Science and Hospital, Mosharraf Hossain, 26, is a photojournalist of Focus Bangla, an online news, photo and video agency.
On Sunday he told the Dhaka Tribune that on the frightful night he was having tea at Al-Razzak Hotel in the area around 10pm.
Hearing the noise of blasts outside the restaurant, he went out with his camera to click some images.
After clicking the camera once, something hit his right eye and he lost vision in that eye.
He was admitted to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital where the doctors referred to admit him to the National Institute of Eye Science and Hospital.
Dr Golam Mostofa of National Institute of Eye Science and Hospital told the Dhaka Tribune that something hard hit on the surface of his eye directly that made some serious injuries on his cornea and damaged around 90 percent of it.
“On Sunday we conducted an operation to repair it and ran some tests including X-ray,” he said.
“We would be able to comment over his situation after getting the reports of the tests. We are trying our best to recover the eye,” he added.
Prof Dr Din Mohammad Nurul Haque, director of the hospital, said: “A meeting would be held on Monday to review all the test reports and we would decide our next course of treatment analysing the reports. We are trying our level best to provide the best possible treatment to the patient.”
Ataur Rahman, uncle of the victim, told the Dhaka Tribune that Mosharraf got injured and lost his vision while performing duty and it was government’s responsibility to ensure best possible treatment for him so that he can get back his vision.
Abdul Kuddus, officer-in-charge of Bangshal police station, said: “We fired around a dozen rubber bullets while some picketers in a procession hit the on-duty police officials with cocktails around 10pm on Saturday at Bangshal area. We do not know if anyone got injured in the procession as we were just trying to maintain the law and order situation of that area.”
Minister of State for LGRD and Cooperatives Jahangir Kabir Nanok went to visit Mosharrof around 1.30pm on Sunday.
He said he would try his level best to help the victim get best possible treatment and get his vision back.
Mosharrof is a resident of 82/2 Bangladuar, Nazirabazar area in the capital and is Son of Nayem Ahmed.
Currently he is undergoing treatment at bed no 37 in the men ward of National Institute of Eye Science and Hospital.