Eighteen-year old Md Imran joined the quota reform protest in Uttara on Thursday when police fired shotgun pellets, teargas shells and sound grenades to disperse protesters.

Several pellets pierced through different parts of his body, including his eyes and head.

Now, he is fighting for his life at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, as his mother keeps weeping beside him.

Even after surgery, he has lost vision in one of his eyes, while doctors are waiting for him to get stable before surgically removing the pellets stuck inside his head.

"My only son is barely alive. I have watched as he lost vision in one of his eyes. The condition of his other eye is not good either. Meanwhile, there are pellets still stuck in his head," said his mother Parvin Begum.

"Why did they shoot my boy? Why did they target his head and eyes? What was his fault? Was participating in a just movement his fault?" Parvin said, with a mixture of rage, despair and disbelief in her voice.

"Even if he recovers, he won't see with an eye again. His life will never be the same," she said.

Imran is not alone.

DMCH sources said at least 118 persons have received treatment with eye injuries, mostly from pellet wounds, in the last four days since the violence escalated.

At least 67 such patients are still undergoing treatment at DMCH's Ophthalmology Department.

Two doctors of the department said over 50 persons have either lost their vision in both eyes or one.

A similar situation persists in National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital.

Till yesterday, the institute had conducted surgeries on at least 227 patients who came to the facility with eye injuries, mostly sustained from shotgun pellets.

Golam Mostafa, director of the facility, said most of the injured might lose vision completely.