Operation on Siddiqur's eye conducted

Doctors at Sankara Nethralaya in India's Chennai yesterday operated on the left eye of Titumir college student Siddiqur Rahman, whose eyes were damaged in police action during a protest last month.

Lingam Gopal, a senior retina specialist, started the surgery around 3:30pm. After the three hour-operation, Siddiqur was taken to bed, said Zahidul Ahsan Menon, assistant professor of National Institute of Ophthalmology in Dhaka, who is accompanying Siddiqur.

“Siddiqur is physically well,” he added. But nothing could be known about the condition of his operated eye.

"Siddiqur's bandage will be removed tomorrow. To assess his visual outcome, it may take four to six weeks," Zahidul told The Daily Star over phone.

Earlier, Lingam said he saw little hope of Siddiqur getting his eyesight back even if a surgery was conducted. But he left it up to Siddiqur to take a decision about the operation.

On July 20, students of seven  Dhaka University-affiliated colleges, including Titumir, were demonstrating at the capital's Shahbagh to press for their seven-point demand that included announcement of their exam dates.

While dispersing the protesters, a policeman shot a teargas canister directly at some agitating students. A video footage of the incident shows Siddiqur collapsed on the street instantly.

Siddiqur, a third-year student of political science, suffered total loss of vision in the right eye. The left eye responded to light once or twice when the bandage was removed on July 23 at the National Institute of Ophthalmology.

The government is bearing Siddiqur's medical costs. He was taken to Sankara Nethralaya on July 27.