Shot, shackled, blinded

Eighteen-year-old Alif Hassan Rahat, a student from Milestone College in Uttara, dreamed of becoming a rocket engineer.

On July 18, when he joined the quota reform protest, he was struck by 29 police-fired pellets -- two struck his eye, 13 on his face, and 14 his chest.

The ambulance carrying him was intercepted by cops, he was detained, and beaten up for a whole night at a police station, before being sent to jail.

Rahat was sent to Dhaka Central Jail, where he was confined to a small, dark room with four other protesters. As he languished in jail without any treatment, his health deteriorated further.

Rahat was finally allowed proper medical treatment after Sheikh Hasina fled the country.

By then, it was too late.

A pellet had reached the optic nerve of his right eye, leaving him completely blind. The pellet was too deeply lodged to be removed.

Rahat had sat for his HSC exams just before the mass uprising.

His results came out recently. He received GPA 5.

When his friends celebrated, Rahat stayed home -- bruised, blinded, and traumatised.

The Daily Star spoke with Rahat last month, and he shared his story.

THE DAY HE GOT SHOT

Student protesters began gathering near Zamzam Tower in Uttara on July 18.

The main road was off-limits, heavily guarded by armed law enforcers. Then Rahat saw a procession coming from the side of Abdullahpur. He decided to join them.

Suddenly, police opened fire, said Rahat.

"But we remained undeterred. Suddenly, near Uttara Square Hospital, law enforcers on a white microbus, started firing indiscriminately. Suddenly, I started bleeding. Blood was streaming from my eye like tears," Rahat said.

He was rushed to Uttara Adhunik Hospital. Some of the pellets from his face and chest could be retrieved.

Doctors couldn't stop the bleeding in his eye, so they bandaged it and told him to seek treatment elsewhere.

Then he went to Kurmitola Hospital but did not receive much help.

All the hospitals nearby were stretched thin as injured protesters were arriving in numbers.

So, he went back home. The next day, when Rahat woke up, he panicked as he couldn't see anything through his right eye.

AMBULANCE INTERCEPTED TWICE

On July 20, Rahat went to an eye hospital in Tongi, from where he was referred to the National Eye Institute.

Rahat, his father Rahij Uddin, and two other injured protesters -- Arman Hossain and Rashedul Hasan -- boarded an ambulance.

The city was under curfew. First, an army patrol intercepted them. Spotting the young, injured protesters, the soldiers allowed the ambulance to pass.

Rahat and the others breathed a brief sigh of relief.

But near Uttara East Police Station, the ambulance was stopped once more -- this time by police.

One officer sneered, "Look, we have some fighters here," before hurling abuse at them for participating in the protests.

Despite their visible injuries and need for medical attention, the police detained all of them and took them to the Uttara East Police Station.

Once inside, officers seized all their belongings, including medical reports.

A group of five cops then surrounded the 18-year-old, punching, slapping, and kicking him.

The psychological torment began in the afternoon.

A police personnel was reloading his gun in front of Rahat. "I've already killed a few. You're next," the cop told Rahat.

Rahat was thrown into a cramped holding cell, packed with over 40 detainees, while his father and the ambulance driver were kept in a separate room.

Around 2:00am, after questioning, Rahat's father was released.

Rahij Uddin wanted to see his injured son. In response, the officers said, "Move forward, don't look back, or we'll shoot you," Rahij told this correspondent.

After 2:00am, Rahat was brought out of the cell for questioning and assaulted by four cops.

"One of them was taking photos and videos. They said my life was over, that I'd never leave jail, and even if I did, I'd never resume my studies," Rahat recounted.

At dawn, detainees were lined up outside the station. Rahat was handcuffed. They were herded onto a prison van bound for the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Dhaka.

At court, Rahat and other detainees were thrown into an iron cage. "Over 100 people were crammed into the small cage. Just like animals," Rahat said.

By 1:00pm, after hours in the cramped cage, they were sent to Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj, without any hearing as no judge showed up.

Sending accused detainees to jail without any hearing is a violation of relevant laws.

Rahat was accused of attacking a Rab-1 team and vandalising their vehicle with weapons, intending to kill them.

Md Abdul Hakim, a warrant officer of Rab-1, filed the case, accusing 1,000-1,500 unnamed individuals.

The senior officials of Uttara East Police Station have been on the run since August 5. All attempts to reach them have been unsuccessful.

Md Mohibullah, newly-appointed officer-in-charge of the police station, said he does not know the whereabouts of his predecessor. He said normal operations resumed at the station in the last week of September following partial repairs.

INSIDE PRISON WALLS

Inside the jail, Rahat was taken to the prison hospital. But the facilities were a far cry from the advanced treatment he needed.

Later, he was moved to a cell, surrounded by hardened criminals. The reality of his circumstances started to set in, and he started crying in despair.

A man with shackles in his legs and ropes binding his arms tried to offer comfort.

Another inmate handed him some biscuits.

"These were the only signs of humanity I experienced in days," Rahat said.

The only treatment he received that night was some eye drops and a few painkillers.

"The next morning, I was taken to a field to register my name. They stamped a mark on my arm -- a prisoner's identity," Rahat said.

From there, he was led into a cramped, dark room already packed with over 100 men. The room had a terrible smell; a tiny washroom in one corner. Filth covered the floor, and there was barely room to sit, let alone move.

When food was finally served, Rahat looked down at the plate of rice and watery lentils. "It was inedible," he said.

After biometric registration, Rahat was taken to a separate building. Fourth floor, cell-3 was his "home" for the next few days. Arman was with him.

It was a tiny room with only a small window through which daylight barely seeped in. Three people were already in that cell from before.

There were no pillows, so they had to use water bottles as one instead.

A dirty, smelly blanket served as their mattress. The washroom, without any doors, was right beside them. Five dirty plates cluttered the corner.

The food served was bread and pumpkins, often rotten.

Meanwhile, Rahat's eye condition deteriorated. When taken to the jail hospital, the doctors said he needed to be shifted to a hospital outside as soon as possible.

Most detainees inside similar cells were student protesters, Rahat said.

SHACKLES REMOVED

On August 1, a decision was made to transfer Rahat, Arman, and Rashidul to the National Eye Institute.

Once admitted to the eye hospital, doctors informed Rahat that as too much time had already passed, it would be difficult to retrieve the pellets from his eye.

That night, after police in plainclothes visited them, the three were shackled at the hospital. When some nurses and medical staff protested, they were met with threats.

On August 2, Rahat was granted bail as part of the government's decision to release all detained underaged students. The shackles were finally removed.

After 13 days in detention, Rahat was at last allowed to see his parents. "My mother had to be hospitalised after I was held," Rahat said. "She has diabetes and hypertension. To this day, I haven't told her I can't see anything through my right eye. I tell her my condition is improving."

DESPERATE FOR SIGHT

Since August 5, Rahat has moved from one hospital to another, holding onto the hope that he might regain his vision. But so far, the only response he received was -- "We are sorry."

According to ophthalmologists, who examined Rahat's case, with optic nerve damage, restoring his sight would be exceedingly difficult.

He has knocked on many doors, seeking help from student leaders and authorities for potential treatment abroad.

In response, a medical board reviewed his case. They, too, concluded that restoring vision would be a challenge.

Still, Rahat refuses to give up.

"I can't see through one eye. I have to walk with a stick. Almost every day, I suffer from an unbearable headache. Frequent fevers is something I have accepted by now. My body still aches from all the torture."

"I had big dreams. I still haven't given up on them. But how can I achieve them if I am blind. I want everyone's help," Rahat said.

This newspaper contacted Rahat's father and Arman. They provided similar versions of the events.

Arman was hit by 30 pellets, including two in his eye. One of the pellets is still in his right eye. He is receiving treatment at CMH. His condition is better than Rahat's as he can still see through the injured eye.

The Daily Star could not contact Rashidul, the other injured protester detained alongside Rahat and Arman.

Recently, Rahat has been admitted again at CMH. His condition remains unchanged.