College student Siddiqur wants to see PM Hasina on return from treatment in India

College student Siddiqur Rahman, who may lose his eyesight after being struck by a police teargas shell, has left Dhaka for India's Chennai for treatment.

The Titumir College political science student asked everyone to pray for his recovery on Thursday morning as he boarded the ambulance that carried him to Dhaka’s Shahjalal International Airport.

“I am going to India for treatment hoping to get my eyesight back,” he told reporters. “I would like to see the prime minister when I return. That’s my first request”, he told reporters.

The government will bear the cost of Siddiqur’s treatment as instructed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The Health and Family Welfare Ministry has arranged for Siddiqur’s treatment at Chennai’s Sankara Nethralaya hospital.

Siddiqur is accompanied to Chennai by his brother Nawab Ali and Dr Zahidul Ahsan Menon, assistant professor of National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital.

The flight carrying them took off from the Dhaka airport around 1pm.

On Jun 20, students from seven colleges affiliated with Dhaka University had demonstrated at Shahbagh. Their demands included the announcement of schedules of their exams.

Police swung into action after protesters blocked traffic in the area. A clash erupted after law enforcers fired teargas shells and charged batons to disperse the protesters.

Titumir College student Siddiqur was injured at that time when a teargas shell hit him in the face, injuring his eyes.

Siddiqur went through surgery at the hospital on Saturday following which doctors said he would not be able to see again.