A child, Huzayfa Afnan, who was seriously injured by gunfire from Myanmar at the Bangladesh–Myanmar border in Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar, is being transferred to Dhaka.
Brigadier Taslim Uddin, director of Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH), confirmed the matter on Tuesday.
He said, “Afnan was brought to the hospital around 4:30 pm on Sunday. So far, her condition has not improved. The bullet that struck her head is still there. We could not remove it. For advanced treatment, we are sending her to Dhaka.”
Hospital sources said that a medical board formed for Afnan’s treatment recommended transferring her to Dhaka for better care.
Doctors said that the bullet remains in her brain. To reduce intracranial pressure, a part of her skull has been left open — a medical procedure that is part of her treatment.
Meanwhile, in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, clashes between the rebel Arakan Army and armed groups have been ongoing for a long time. During these conflicts, bullets, drones, and mortar shells fired from across the border often land in the homes, fish farms, and croplands of residents in Bangladesh’s Whykong border area.
Schoolgirl Afnan was shot in the head when gunfire erupted from across the border on Sunday morning. She was admitted to CMCH in critical condition and put on life support.
Her uncle, Shawkat Ali, said their home is about three kilometres from the border. The bullet lodged directly in her brain. On the day of the incident, she was taken to CMCH, where doctors attempted surgery at night but could not remove the bullet due to high risk.
Harunur Rashid, head of the ICU department at the hospital, said the bullet is lodged very close to the back of the brain, near vital blood vessels. Surgery could cause excessive bleeding and pose a risk of death.
Meanwhile, airstrikes, drone attacks, mortar shells, and bomb explosions continue in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. With the border situation becoming increasingly tense, loud blasts from across the border are shaking villages along Teknaf’s frontier.
