BNP chairperson’s adviser Reaz Rahman who was injured in a gun attack by unidentified criminals on Tuesday night underwent surgery at the city’s United Hospital on Wednesday.
Doctors at the hospital said he was taken to post operative room of the hospital around 6:30pm after the surgery where he has been kept under close observation.
Reaz was taken to the Operation Theatre from High Dependency Unit (HDU) around 2:30pm where doctors performed the nearly three and a half hours surgery.BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed visited Reaz in the evening minutes after he was taken to the post operative room, and spent some time there.
Talking to reporters after coming out of the hospital, Moudud said, “I’ve visited him. He’s not still out of danger. He’s still unconscious due to the impact of anesthesia used during the surgery.”
Citing doctors, Moudud said the bullets sprayed by the ‘criminals’ on Reaz has pierced through the body parts. “But the body parts through which the bullets entered and came out were badly damaged. The doctors have taken necessary measures through surgery.”
Voicing deep concern over the gun attack on a gentleman like Reaz, the BNP leader demanded the government immediately arrest the attackers and bring them to justice.
Talking to reporters, Reaz’s son-in-law Arsenal Quddus said doctors said the BNP chief’s adviser will have to stay at the hospital for three weeks. “We’re concerned over his condition although he has undergone surgery.”
He on behalf of Reaz’s family urged the country’s people to pray for his early recovery.
Earlier in the day, Dobir Uddin Ahmed, director of clinical operation department of United Hospital, told reporters around 2pm that the BNP leader was out of danger.
He said the medical team which was formed for Reaz’s treatment has decided to intensively examine four bullet-hit parts of his body using general anesthesia at the operation theatre for working out the next step of treatment.
Unidentified criminals shot Reaz in the leg and waist and torched his car near Westin Hotel at Gulshan-2 around 8:45pm on Tuesday on his way back home from BNP chairperson’s office.
He was taken to United Hospital immediately, where he has been kept at the ICU. Reaz’s wife Nargis Rahman and daughter Amena Rahman are with him.
The hospital authorities formed a six-member medical board, led by orthopedic department head Prof Aminul Sun, to look after Reaz and treat him.
The board members sat in a meeting on Wednesday noon and decided about the necessary treatment masseurs for Reaz.
About his wounds, Dobir Uddin said Reaz received two bullet wounds to the back of his left side while two other wounds to the lower of his left knee.
He said the BNP leader underwent MRI and CT scan at the hospital.
As per the reports of MRI and CT scan, the soft nerves and muscle tissues were damaged though there was no metallic substance seen in the wounds.
Dobir Uddin said the heel of Reaz’s left legs has swollen and he cannot move the leg.
Asked whether there is any bullet in his leg, he said, “We can’t say about it right now. What we think there’s entry and exit injures in his body.”
Brac founder Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, former foreign secretary Farooq Sobhan, former caretaker government advisor Ruhul Alam Chowdhury, BNP standing committee member Mahbubur Rahman and chairperson’s adviser Enam Ahmed Chowdhury, among others, visited Reaz at the hospital on Wednesday.
The BNP-lead 20-party alliance called a daylong hartal from 6m to 6pm for Thursday across the country, protesting the gun attack on BNP chairperson’s adviser Reaz Rahman.
Earlier on Tuesday night, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia termed cowardice and terror acts the gun attack on her adviser Reaz Rahman. – UNB
