‘My son victim of dirty politics’, bemoans injured Akib’s father

Golam Faruq Majumder, father of Chittagong Medical College student Mahadi J Akib who suffered serious head injuries during a clash on Saturday, has blamed dirty politics for his son's plight.

"My son is a victim of dirty politics. I want no one's son to face this fate. Now my only prayer to the Almighty Allah is his speedy recovery. Waiting to hear 'Baba' from him again," Faruq said in a chocked voice in front of the ICU of the Chittagong Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) on Monday.

Akib, a second-year student of the medical college, was seriously injured during the clash between two BCL factions on the college campus on Saturday morning.

The two BCL factions -- one led by a former mayor and another by a junior minister -- locked into a clash on Friday. They reengaged in clashes on Saturday morning leaving Akib and two others injured.

Akib was admitted to the CMCH and put on life support on Sunday.

A photo of the injured medical student with the instruction on the bandage on his head, "There is no bone, don't put pressure," went viral on social media on Sunday.

Akib, meanwhile, regained his consciousness on Monday.

SM Noman Khaled Chowdhury, head of the Neurosurgery department of the CMCH, said Akib's ventilator has been taken off after improvement in his health condition. "We'll treat him more at the ICU," he added.

Akib, a meritorious student from Cumilla, passed SSC from Cumilla Zila School and HSC from Notre Dame College, Dhaka --both with flying colours -- and later got admitted to the CMCH with a dream of becoming a doctor.

Doctors at the CMCH said the severity of his brain injuries may take a long time to heal and expressed concerns over his movement even after regaining consciousness.

Akib was first taken to the one stop centre of the hospital and later received primary treatment at neurosurgery ward-28 of the CMCH.

Later, he underwent a surgery for over three hours under a five-member expert medical team led by Prof Dr Noman Khaled Chowdhury, head of the Neurosurgery department of the CMCH.

Dr Noman said Akib's operation has been successful but he got his skull fractured as he sustained severe brain injuries.

Dr AMM Minhazur Rahman, organizing secretary of Swadhinata Chikitshak Parishad (SWACHIP), said a medical board has been formed for Akib's treatment.

"Blood clots in his brain have been removed through surgery but his condition is not out of danger," he said.

Apart from Akib, Mahfuzul Haque, 23, Naimul Islam, 20, and two other students of the medical college suffered injuries during the internal feud.

A case was filed on Sunday in this connection accusing 16 people.

The clashes forced the medical college authorities to close the institution for an indefinite period from Saturday.

A five-member probe committee, led by Dr Motiur Rahman, was formed to look into the incident.

The probe body was asked to submit a report within the next seven working days.