Reunion waits as fate hangs in balance
Nazma Khatun is too weak to move out of her bed. She had to undergo a two-hour caesarean operation just eight days ago after she was hit by a bullet during a factional clash between the Jubo League men.
Yet she had to brave an eight-hour journey from Magura to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where her newborn is being treated. The baby, named Suraiya by her father, suffered bullet injuries when her eight-month pregnant mother was shot in the abdomen during the factional clash in Magura on July 23.
A bullet pierced through Suraiya's right shoulder while she was in her mother's womb. Her right eye was also injured. Doctors said that it was almost a miracle that they survived.
Although Nazma did not have the chance to see her newborn yesterday, doctors took her breast milk for the baby, Suraiya's father Bacchu Bhuiyan told The Daily Star over the phone around 1:00am today. Nazma would meet her daughter in the morning, he said, quoting doctors.
He said doctors at the DMCH asked for Nazma as the newborn needed her mother's milk. Magura superintendent of police had made the arrangement for sending Nazma to Dhaka, he added.
“Though Nazma is too weak and cannot do anything without the help of others, we had to bring her here for the baby's survival,” Bacchu said.
Nazma was undergoing treatment at the gynaecology ward of the DMCH.
Asraf-ul-Haq, head of Paediatric Surgery Department at the DMCH, told The Daily Star that the newborn was sent to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the DMCH from the Paediatric Surgery Ward yesterday as she was at the risk of being infected with neonatal septicaemia.
Her platelets count has dropped to 50,000, which is supposed to be at least 1.5 lakh, he said.
“We asked for the mother of the newborn as the baby needs breast feeding to fight septicaemia,” the doctor added.
Khawja Abdul Gofur, assistant director (admin) of the DMCH, said the immune system of the newborn was very weak because of her low birth weight. Her weight is 2kg, which is supposed to be 2.5kg after birth, he added.
Sheuli Begum, aunt of Suraiya, said the baby had become feeble after doctors gave her several stitches on Wednesday.
The factional clash between the Jubo League men in Magura had left one killed and another injured.
Bacchu, however, said his family was still worried as the attackers were threatening them over the phone to withdraw the case they filed on Friday against 16 people, including Magura district BCL Vice President Sen Suman.
Two people have been arrested so far. Though eight days have gone by, police could not arrest any of the 14 other accused in the case.
Asaduzzaman Munshi, officer-in-charge of Magura Police Station, said additional police were deployed at Doyarpar area. Law enforcers were trying to arrest the other accused.
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