Written by Date: August 04, 2024 – Location: Rajshahi –
Rakibul Islam (25) was injured during anti-discrimination protests, with 65 shrapnel wounds covering his body. Despite treatment, he has lost sight in his right eye and has blurred vision in his left. He desires foreign medical treatment but is unable to afford it due to financial constraints.
Short Biography:
Rakibul Islam hails from Professorpara Moholla, Ward No. 6, Jaipurhat Municipality. His father, Moklesur Rahman, works as a hotel employee.
Rakibul recounts, “I got married six months ago and was working as an operator at Metro Textile Limited in Narayanganj’s Fatullah. Before the protests, I quit my job and returned home. On August 4th, I joined the anti-discrimination protest at Panchur More in Jaipurhat town with my friends. After noon, a clash occurred with the police, and I was shot multiple times. I fell on the road. People took me to Jaipurhat 250-bed hospital. When I regained consciousness, I was blind in my right eye. Following the doctor’s advice, I was brought to the National Institute of Ophthalmology in Dhaka that night. I was treated there for 20 days.”
Rakibul further explains that after treatment at the National Institute of Ophthalmology, he can see a little in his left eye but is completely blind in his right. He believes that advanced treatment abroad might restore his vision but his father, a hotel worker, cannot afford the expenses. He is currently undergoing treatment on borrowed money.
Rakibul’s father, Moklesur Rahman, says that doctors have recommended foreign treatment for his son. The family’s income solely depended on his son’s earnings, which have now ceased. With his own job also halted, he finds it difficult to manage the household expenses. He is worried about how he will arrange the money for his son’s treatment.
ATM Mizanur Rahman, a lawyer and neighbor, states that the family is financially struggling. He has appealed to the government for providing necessary medical treatment to Rakibul.
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