The woman who got shot allegedly by a stray bullet in a drive of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) at a slum in Bhairab on Saturday is yet to regain her consciousness and not out of danger, said doctors at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).
Rahima Khatun, 35, wife of Dhan Miah of a slum, was operated upon her head on Sunday at DMCH. No bullet was found in her head, doctors told The Daily Star yesterday.
She is undergoing treatment at DMCH under Rab supervision. The bullet had probably come out when she was shot, said doctors.
Dhan Miah, a rickshaw puller told The Daily Star that his wife Rahima is a mother of six and not involved in drug peddling. He claimed that she has been falsely implicated in drug peddling.
Ramzan Miah, Rahima's husband's elder brother who is a witness to the incident told this correspondent at DMCH during the incident Rahima along with her one-and-a-half-year-old daughter Srabanti came to keep her at the house.
Faruk, a resident of Dhan Miah's slum and an employee of a furniture shop ran to the house. Four to five plainclothes men identifying themselves as Rab personnel dragged Faruk. Rahima and about seven others, including Ramzan, wanted to know from Rab men why Faruk was being taken away.
Rahima got agitated and locked in an altercation with Rab men and a member of the elite forces brandished a firearm at Rahima and asked her to leave the place. A bullet came out of the arms and shot Rahima in her head.
Ramzan said after Rahima was hit by the bullet, the Rab member concerned looked puzzled which gave them an impression that the fire was accidental.
Rab 11 Company Commander at Narsingdi Major Bahalul Alam told The Daily Star that the area at Narsingdi and Bhairab is a drug belt.
Acting on a specific tip-off, he said, a 14-member team of Rab 11 led by ASP Kazi Ahsanul Haque Ahsan went there around 3:40pm on Friday. Rab men recovered 41 bottles of Phensydyl from Rahima's possession at the slum of Bhairab Panchaboti.
Major Bahalul said Rahima raised a hue and cry to gather mob and at one stage started pulling a firearm from a Rab member. During the incident, a bullet accidentally went off from the Rab man's gun. The Rab company commander said though Rahima has not regained consciousness till yesterday afternoon she can move her hands and legs.
Major Bahalul said following Rahima's operation, Rab has been arranging proper treatment of her.