Sylhet college girl Khadiza needs to go under the knife again, doctor says

A surgery may be performed on the hand of Sylhet college girl Khadiza Begum Nargis, a doctor at Square Hospitals has said.

She was critically wounded recently in a hacking attack by a Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leader.  

Mirza Nazim Uddin, Consultant at the hospital's Medicine and Critical Care Unit, on Saturday said they were planning to do the surgery on Monday.

“This surgery is mandatory. The muscle chain in Khadiza’s hand was cut when she was trying to stop the blows (of the sharp weapons),” he said.

Hacked on Oct 3 on MC College campus by Badrul Alam, a leader of BCL's Shahjalal University of Science and Technology unit, Khadiza was taken to Dhaka’s Square Hospitals the following day amidst a wave of protests.

The Sylhet Government Women’s College student had received severe injuries in her brain, head, hands and legs in the machete attack.

Since she was brought to Dhaka, she had been put on life support until last Thursday.

But the news of the possible surgery on her hand has left Khadiza’s family worried.

Her uncle Abdul Baset told bdnews24.com: “She will be put on life support again because of this surgery. We are very worried.”

However, he said, the doctors have assured them that Khadiza will undergo the surgery only if she appears to be fit for it.

“I went to see her today in the morning. She looks up when someone calls her, but she still doesn’t recognise anyone.”

The hospital’s Mirza Nazim Uddin added, “There is no risk in this surgery. But it can never be guaranteed that the surgery will always be successful.”

“She is responding to our treatment, but her recovery is very slow,” he said of her current condition.