On August 5, 2024, 20-year-old madrasa student Abu Hanif stepped into a procession in Narayanganj believing he was joining thousands demanding justice, dignity and reform.
Moments later, a rubber bullet struck his right eye.
The retina was torn. The vision was gone forever.
Two years after the July Uprising reshaped Bangladesh’s political landscape, Hanif’s life remains frozen on that afternoon in Chashara, where he lost not only the sight in one eye but also the ordinary future he had imagined.
While the country marks the uprising’s second anniversary, hundreds of injured protesters continue to live with permanent disabilities, prolonged treatment and uncertain rehabilitation.
“I cannot see anything with my right eye,” Hanif told Dhaka Tribune.
“Whenever I go outside, my eyes start itching. I cannot study for long. Sometimes the pain spreads from my eye to my head. Every day is painful.”
Originally from Khairaki village in Ishwarganj, Mymensingh, Hanif was then studying at Jamia Usman Ibn Affan (RA) Al Islamia Qawmi Madrasa in Narayanganj.
He said he had initially stayed away from the movement.
But the killing of Begum Rokeya University student Abu Sayed and repeated attacks on protesters convinced him he could no longer remain silent.
On August 5, Hanif joined thousands of demonstrators in Narayanganj.
He said he watched a fellow protester being shot dead before a rubber bullet hit his own eye.
Friends rushed him first to a nearby pharmacy before taking him to safety.
After news spread that Sheikh Hasina had resigned, he was admitted to the National Institute of Ophthalmology.
Emergency surgery could not save his vision.
Doctors later informed him that the sight in his right eye could never be restored.
Two additional operations also failed to improve his condition.
Hanif now studies at Jamia Muhammadiya Shamsul Uloom Madrasa in Savar, but says persistent pain, excessive tearing and blurred vision in his remaining eye often prevent him from concentrating.
Regular medication has also become another struggle.
“Some medicines are available at the hospital, but many have to be bought from outside,” he said.
Despite everything, he has not abandoned hope.
Doctors abroad, he said, have indicated that advanced treatment might restore at least part of his vision.
“I have been told that if I can receive treatment abroad, there is still hope,” he said.
“But my family cannot afford it. During the interim government I tried many times to get permission for treatment overseas, but nothing happened.”
He recently learned that a medical board at the National Institute of Ophthalmology is reviewing cases for possible overseas treatment.
“My only request is that the government gives me that opportunity,” he said.
“My only dream is to see this world with my own eyes again.”
His optimism is strengthened by the experience of another injured protester who, after treatment in Chennai, reportedly regained about half of his eyesight.
“If he can recover, maybe I can too,” Hanif said.
He acknowledged receiving Tk200,000 in government assistance and another Tk100,000 from the July Foundation.
But he said the support is insufficient for long-term treatment and rehabilitation.
Although officially recognised as a “Category A” injured July fighter, he says a promised government job for a family member has yet to materialise.
Hanif believes those who sacrificed during the uprising deserve more than financial assistance.
“Many July fighters lost their lives, their hands, their legs or their eyesight,” he said.
“They need proper treatment and rehabilitation. The families of the martyrs deserve respect. The promises made after July should also be fulfilled.”
Yet despite living with permanent disability, Hanif says he has no regrets about joining the movement.
His vision may have dimmed, but not his conviction.
“If the country ever needs me again,” he said, “I will join the movement once more. I will never step back.”
