Bangladesh student activist loses vision after alleged political attack

A 19-year-old National Citizen Party activist has lost nearly all vision in his left eye after he was struck with an iron rod during an alleged attack in Habiganj, party leaders and relatives said.

Doctors said Alif Chowdhury had lost 99.9% of the eye’s vision following a two-and-a-half-hour surgery Thursday at the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital in Dhaka.

The attack occurred Tuesday and was allegedly carried out by activists of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, the student wing of the governing Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

“What was my fault?” Alif asked after learning about the extent of his injury, according to his cousin, Tauhidul Islam.

Alif is a sophomore at Nabiganj Homeland School and College. He was awaiting a decision on his candidacy for joint convener of a local Jatiya Chhatra Shakti unit.

“He was the brightest child in our family,” Islam said.

The assault on Chowdhury has triggered a fierce confrontation between the NCP and BNP, as opposition parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami, denounced the government’s silence.