Imranul Haque Reyad. Photo : BSS

CHATTOGRAM May 10, 2025 ( BSS) -  Imranul Haque Reyad is scared of losing sight of his bullet-hit right eye permanently as he sustained numerous splinters at entire body including at right eye during  the student-led mass uprising on August 5, 2024.  

Police, armed cadres of Chattra League and Juba League fired indiscriminately on a rally on the day.     

Reyad , 24 , a honours fourth year student of Bakalia Shahid M N J College in the city, has been on frenetic struggle to save and cure his severely damaged eye. He needs better treatment but his family is struggling to bear treatment cost due severe financial hardship. 

Reyad is elder son of Ahmed Nabi of Uttar Harinkhayin village of Kusumpura union of Patiya upazila in the district. Nabi had returned from abroad couple of months back and mother Shahnaj Begum is a housewife. Reyad’s younger brother Rizawanul Haq , 22 , is a  BBA 2nd year student at private BGC Trust university . 
As his father’s income was not adequate to run the family and bear the expenses of education cost of two sons, Reyad used to do tuition to continue his study.

 After returning from abroad, his father has no income and Reyad also compelled to stop tuition due to his run after the treatment.  

 Frustration engulfed his hope of seeing the beautiful world with full vision as there was still no significant progress even after 8-months of treatment. Doctor’s suggested him for more improved and specialized treatment to bring out the splinters still inside his right eye but the family of Reyad is now forced to stop even his regular check-up due to lack of financial ability.
 
“My family has spent around Tk. 7-8 lakhs for my treatment. Now we are fighting for survival by arranging daily breads and other needs as we become almost financially empty condition” frustrated Reyad said with emotion chocked voice. 

 Recalling the horrific and turmoilic day of his injury on August 5, 2024, the day of toppling the fascist Sheikh Hasina government, Reyad told BSS that when huge number of student and general people were gathered at city’s Bahadderhat Intersection, police along with armed cadres of Chattra League and Juba League made reckless firing on them leaving injured many protesters.

“ I was on front row of the procession and sustained uncountable number of splinters at my eyes, face, head and others parts of the body and at one stage was lied down on the ground almost unconscious state” he stated.
 
Later he came to know that his friends -Shuva and Sourav ignoring their life risks took him to Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) in a critical condition and physicians were able to bring out 33 splinters from different parts of the body by conducting surgery instantly but they could not pull out more 6 splinters from his right eye suggesting that it needed to carry out operation at right eye.
 
His relatives shifted him to Eye Hospital at city’s Pahartali on August 5 night where doctors conducted operation trice at his right eye on August 6 and 28 but were able to drag out only two out of four splinters were stilled pinned inside.
 
Reyad then went to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka where he had been under treatment for one month and the splinters were not pulled out from the eye. He is under continued check-up at CMH regularly. Doctors there informed him that at least Tk. 10 lakhs will be required for a massive operation at his right eye.
 
Imranul Haque Reyad , one of the frontline warrior of July uprising movement in Chattogram who used to join protest programs at Bahadderhat and Muradpur – the turbulent places of month long anti-quota movement in the port city, got frustrated as he sees no ray of hope finally in curing his eyes due to want of money and improved treatment.
 
“ I have received Tk. 1 lakhs as assistance from July Foundation but it is so insufficient in compare to expense beard by my family and also money will be needed for improved treatment” he said adding that “ but now availing treatment services is more easy than earlier and I have to shuttle Ctg-Dhaka for treatment on regular basis.”
 
Sharing his agonies, Reyad told BSS that he has been suffering from unbearable pain and cannot sleep in night often due to severe pain at eye. Due to pain at eye , he has to suffer severe head pain also and water spills out from the wounded eye continuously.

 In the early days of my injury, many relatives, well-wishers and friends used to come at me for console and convey their sympathy but now none besides me accept my family , Reyad told BSS with palling look.
 
“My dream to stand besides my poor parents and younger brother after completing study is gradually dashing out” he said.
 
“But I still can look by left eye , if needed I am ready to join struggle again to free my beloved country from any injustice and misrule. To me , it a huge achievement as we were able to free the country from fascist grip at the sacrifices of many lives as well as my eye”  Reyad said expressing his boldness and spirit he still inherits from July Uprising that usher the hopes to establish and transform a New Bangladesh after uprooting the 15-years of roughest fascist regime in the country’s history.  
 
Reayd’s mother Shahnaj Begum said, “We do not have money required for improved treatment of my son as we are not even able to bear regular family expenses.”
 “ My only appeal to the government to provide financial supports for ensuring proper treatment so that he could recover his eye sight,” she said.