A physician from the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital has testified that hundreds of protesters injured during the July–August anti-discrimination uprising suffered permanent loss of vision.
On Monday, Assistant Professor of the Retina Department Dr. Zakia Sultana Neela told the International Crimes Tribunal-1 that among those admitted to the hospital, 493 patients permanently lost one eye, 11 lost both eyes, 28 suffered partial loss of vision in both eyes, and 47 lost partial vision in one eye.
She gave her testimony in a case involving crimes against humanity allegedly committed during the anti-discrimination protests.
The accused in the case are ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun.
Hasina and Kamal remain absconding, while Al-Mamun has turned state witness and was present in court during the testimony.
The three-member tribunal, headed by Justice Md. Golam Mortuza Mojumder, recorded the testimony. Following Dr. Zakia’s statement, state-appointed lawyer Amir Hossain cross-examined her on behalf of the fugitive defendants.
Detailing the events, Dr. Zakia said patients began arriving at the institute on July 17 last year, many of them injured by pellets.
“On July 18, a blood-soaked day, around 100 patients were admitted, while nearly 100 more received primary treatment. When I went to the emergency department, I witnessed a horrifying scene,” she told the tribunal.
She described how most of the patients were aged between 14 and 25. “Many came holding one or both eyes with their hands. That night, starting from 9 p.m., surgeries were carried out on ten operating tables simultaneously. The next day, from morning till late night, surgeries continued in a similar manner,” she recalled.
According to her testimony, most patients had been injured by pellets and bullets, with punctured corneas, ruptured sclera, and in many cases, burst eyes and retinal hemorrhages. Large numbers of patients were also treated between August 4–6, requiring critical eye surgeries.
Dr. Zakia further noted that many patients concealed their real identities due to fear for their safety. “Some used false names, fake phone numbers, and concealed their addresses,” she testified.
