Right side of Dinajpur UNO Wahida paralysed, condition critical: Doctors say

The right side of the body of Dinajpur's Ghoraghat Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Wahida Khanam, who was critically injured in an attack today, has become paralysed, doctors said.

"The UNO's injuries are very serious. The skull bones have broken and fragments have entered the brain. There has been bleeding in the brain. The right side of her body has become paralysed," Professor Badrul Haque, joint director of National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital, told The Daily Star in the evening.

Referring to Wahida's latest condition, the doctor said, "There has been bleeding inside and outside of her head. The situation was more serious when we got her. Necessary saline could not be given initially.

"Her condition is critical. Under no circumstances can she be stated to be safe. In the case of such patients, nothing can be said for sure until 72 hours or 96 hours have passed. You have to be ready for any situation," Professor Badrul Haque said.

"The specialist doctors in our hospital are engaged in treatment. Apart from this, all the eminent experts in this field in Bangladesh are seeing him in the hospital. BSMMU's Vice Chancellor Prof Kanak Kanti Barua and Dhaka Medical College Prof Raziul Haque are still in the hospital. We will take her to the operation theatre again at 9:00pm. Then, the doctors will decide whether to have surgery or not. But nothing can be said in advance."

A group of criminals entered the official residence of Wahida Khanam and hit her on the head with a sharp weapon last night.

In critical condition, she was kept in intensive care unit (ICU) at a clinic in Rangpur. As her condition deteriorated, Wahida was brought to Dhaka in an MI-171 SH helicopter of the Bangladesh Air Force on an emergency basis today, according to Inter Services Public Relation (ISPR).

Wahida's father Omor Ali, a freedom fighter, was also injured in the attack. He was rushed to Rangpur Medical College Hospital in the morning.

According to local police, miscreants entered the UNO's residence on Upazila Parishad Campus around 3:00am, after breaking ventilators in the toilet.

They hit Wahida with a sharp weapon on her head. When her father came to save her, they also attacked him, leaving him injured, police said.

The unknown criminals locked the night guard in before the attack, our correspondent reports from the spot.

Wahida has a three-year-old child and her husband is the UNO of Rangpur Pirganj upazila.

'Attackers will be found soon'

State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain said those responsible behind attack on Wahida Khanam will be found, BSS reports.

"A smart team of police is working in this regard. They will be able to find those who did it. We will take stern actions against the miscreants," he said.

The state minister made the remarks while addressing a press conference at his ministry office in the Secretariat after the attack on Wahida Khanam, a 31st batch officer of the BCS administration cadre, the BSS report adds.

Farhad said the miscreants were seen in the CCTV footage wearing masks and added that a high powered police team is working to detect the two attackers.

Replying to a query, he said, "It doesn't seem to be a family feud. However, it will found out during investigation. Law enforcement agency is analysing the matter".

The state minister said the government is trying to ensure better treatment to the UNO Wadiha Khanam. "In this context, the Neuroscience Hospital in the capital is the best. We are doing what we need to do in this regard," the BSS report quoted him as saying.

Farhad said the process is underway for filing a case in this connection and the government itself will investigate the matter.