The madrasa student from Feni’s Sonagazi, who was set on fire allegedly by followers of her institution’s principal, is not in a condition to be shifted to Singapore for better treatment, doctors at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) have said.
Dr Samanta Lal Sen, chief coordinator of the DMCH burn unit, on Tuesday told the Dhaka Tribune that they talked to the doctors at the Singapore General Hospital via videoconference. “The doctors said she should not be flown over in her present condition.”
“But they are advising us about her treatment. We are in constant touch with them and are treating her according to their advice,” he added.
On Monday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had ordered the DMCH authorities to shift the 18-year-old, who with 75% burns was put on life support after her condition deteriorated, to Singapore for better treatment, if necessary.
The burn unit doctors also performed a two-hour-long surgery for compression-related complications on the student on Tuesday morning.
Dr Abul Kalam, chief of the medical board formed for her treatment, said the operation, called an escharotomy, was necessary in order to release compression on her whole body. “These are only performed on people with severe burn injuries.
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“Her condition now is a slightly better, though the compression is yet to be fully released. It is going to take some time,” he added.
Dr Samanta also said that the condition of such patients fluctuates. “You might see her condition improve in the morning, but that may suddenly deteriorate in the afternoon. The girl’s blood reports are a little better, but her condition has not changed much.”
The female student was set on fire after she went to the Sonagazi Islamia Fazil (Degree) Madrasa on April 6 to sit for her Alim examinations.
According to her family, four burqa-clad students called her to the institute’s roof and threatened her to withdraw a case her family previously filed last month against the institute’s Principal Sirajuddaula over his alleged rape attempt on the girl.
The unidentified students set her on fire after pouring kerosene on her when she refused.
Other students rescued her after hearing her cries and took her with the help of the police help to the Sonagazi Upazila Health complex, from where she was shifted to the Feni General Hospital. Later, she was transferred to the DMCH.
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Her family filed a case at Sonagazi police station on Monday over the arson attack. Six people so far have been arrested for their suspected involvement in the attack.
Four remanded
A Feni court on Tuesday also granted police five days to interrogate four of the suspects arrested in this case.
Senior Judicial Magistrate Sharafat Uddin passed the order in the afternoon after police produced Nur Hossain, Kefayet Ullah, Alauddin and Shahidul Islam before his court.
The victim’s brother had accused the four burqa-clad assailants and their unidentified accomplices in the case on Monday. However, on Tuesday morning, the list of accused was updated with the names of eight people including the madrasa principal.
Protesters demand justice
Rights organization Karmojibi Nari on Tuesday also demonstrated in Feni demanding immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of those involved in the arson attack.
A human chain was staged at the Feni Central Shaheed Minar in the afternoon.
Speakers at the program also demanded permanent termination of Sonagazi Islamia Fazil (Degree) Madrasa Principal Sirajuddaula, who was arrested and sent to jail in the rape attempt case, from his post in the institute.
