Netrakona Correspondent

Nabi Hussain, 24, a garment worker, who was shot by police in Chowrasta-Bypass area of Gazipur district during the anti-discrimination student movement on August 4, is still carrying many lead pellets inside his body and experiencing untold suffering.

"I am still carrying lead pellets inside of my body as the doctors are facing difficulties in bringing out all the pellets from my body- - -I have been suffering from different ailments including physical pain. Despite this physical condition and financial problem, I have no sadness as I received the pellets injuries during the student-mass uprising which freed the country's people from the autocratic and fascist government of Sheikh Hasina and created a new Bangladesh," Nabi Hussain told BSS at his house.

Nabi Hussain said, "I want to remain alive to see the trial of fascist and killer Sheikh Hasina and other master minds who were responsible for the mass killing during the anti-discrimination student movement."

Nabi Hussain is the son of Nasar Jama and Mina Aktar of village Deopur under Barhatta upazila of Netrakona district. He has six brothers and one sister. His father is an octogenarian small farmer. He cannot walk and work due to old age complications.

Recalling the memories of the anti-discrimination student movement, Nabi said, he along with his friends joined the movement in the Chowrasta-Bypass area on August 4 after making their mindset ready to make supreme sacrifice for freeing the country's people from the autocratic, and fascist rule of killer Sheikh Hasina.

In the afternoon of the day, police accompanied by Awami League and Chhatra League activists fired on the protesting students and people indiscriminately.

"Then, I also moved forward and came to the frontline of the protesters- - - At one stage, I was hit by many lead pellets and tear gas canisters and became unconscious on the spot and fell on the street there," he said in an emotion-chocked voice and requested his elder brother Jamal Mia for narrating the further happenings.

Following the incident, some friends of Nabi Hussain came forward and rescued him from the street and took him to nearby Shaheed Tazuddin Medical College Hospital in Gazipur in a critical condition, but, the attending doctors referred him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital without giving any treatment there, said Jamal Mia.

But, his friends took him to a private hospital in Uttara, Dhaka through an ambulance as they couldn't rush him to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital due to barricades of police. Then, he was given emergency treatment there for 2 days till August 6, he said.

Jamal said, " On August 6, Nabi Hussain was released from the hospital as we could not bear the expenses of his treatment due to financial crisis- - - then we admitted him at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital (MMCH) where he was operated upon and given treatment for 27 days till September 2 last".

Later, Nabi Hussain was shifted to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) where he was operated upon again on September 6.

Later, Nabi Hussain was again admitted to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital with different ailments including severe physical pain on October 2 and released from the hospital on October 6.

Now, he is staying at his house in Deopur village and undergoing follow-up treatment there following the advice of associate professor of the surgery department of MMCH Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, he informed.

Nabi Hussain's treatment will take a long time, Jamal said quoting Dr. Shafiqur Rahman.

Talking to this BSS correspondent, Mina Aktar, the mother of Nabi Hussain made an appeal to all for praying to Almighty Allah for early recovery of his critically injured son.

"Nabi Hussain was the main earning person of our family- - -so, we are passing very tough days due to financial crisis- - - we are now running our family by taking loans from our relatives as we spend a lot of money for Nabi's treatment. In the meantime--- we are drawing the attention of the interim government and well-to-do- persons of the country to come forward to help Nabi Hussain" she said with tearful eyes.

Nabi's father Nasar Jama said, "We had to sell all of our belongings including a farmland to bear the treatment expenses of my son - - - we have now become disoriented thinking about the future of Nabi Hussain- --I hope that the interim government will take necessary steps for saving the life of Nabi Hussain.

Local people expressed their hope that the interim government will stand beside all the injured persons like Nabi Hussain who were injured by gunshots carried out by police and Awami League activists during the anti-discrimination student-mass uprising.

When contacted, Barhatta Upazila Nirbahi officer (UNO) Farjana Aktar Bobi told BSS that Nabi Hussain had already been enlisted in the list of injured persons of the anti-discrimination student-mass movement.

The upazila administration has already handed over Taka 30,000 as financial assistance to Nabi Hussain, the UNO added.