In the ICU of Chittagong Medical College Hospital, time stretches thin and every heartbeat feels like a question. Eleven-year-old Reshmi Akhter lies suspended between hope and fear, her small frame surrounded by the cold hum of life-support machinery.
For five days, an unequal battle has raged to keep her alive.
Reshmi, a cheerful Class IV student, saw her world shattered in a matter of seconds.
On the night of 7 May, in the Shaheed Minar Colony of Raufabad, she stepped out on a simple errand: to buy betel leaves for an elderly relative.
She never made it back. A gunman’s bullet, intended for a man named Hasan Raju, missed its mark and struck Reshmi in the eye.
Raju, who reportedly faced various criminal charges, died upon arrival at the hospital. Reshmi’s fight, however, was only beginning.
Medical assessments reveal a grim reality. The bullet traveled through her eye and into her brain, causing catastrophic neuro-trauma.
Specialists from the neurosurgery department report signs of multi-organ dysfunction and almost zero neurological response.
While a seven-member medical board oversees her care, doctors describe her state as “brain-dead,” noting that only a miracle can save her now.
Outside the ICU, the air is thick with helplessness.
Reshmi’s father, Riaz Ahmed, a vegetable vendor, is devastated. “I want justice for my daughter,” he said through tears. Her elder brother, Faisal, echoed the family’s desperate resolve: “The doctors say she cannot survive without life support. But as long as she is breathing, we will not give up.”
This tragedy has also brought financial ruin. The family has already spent nearly Tk 1,00,000, a fortune for a low-income household, relying on loans and the kindness of relatives.
While Chattogram Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Zahidul Islam Miah visited the family and provided Tk 25,000 in aid, the road ahead remains dark.
“Maximum efforts are being made,” the DC told TIMES. “If necessary, more assistance will be provided.”
Six arrested
Police have arrested six individuals in connection with the murder of Hasan Raju and the shooting of Reshmi.
Authorities have named Syedul Karim as the suspected mastermind behind the attack.
According to Chattogram Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Md Amirul Islam, the motive was retaliation.
Approximately two weeks prior, a man known as ‘Madhu Nasir’ was murdered in the Kadalpur area of Raojan; Raju had been an accused party in that case.
Investigators believe the May 7 attack was a direct act of revenge.
The breakthrough came after police analysed CCTV footage to identify the CNG-powered autorickshaw used by the assailants.
After detaining the driver, Abdul Mannan, police used his testimony to apprehend Karim.
A search of Karim’s residence uncovered a foreign-made pistol, a magazine, two rounds of ammunition, and a blood-stained T-shirt.
Addressing concerns regarding legal proceedings, Amirul told TIMES, “Since this is one incident and a case has already been filed, there is no need for Reshmi’s family to file a separate one. Her family will definitely receive justice.”
Lawyer Md Didarul Alam provided additional legal context, noting that while multiple cases for a single incident are generally discouraged, they are possible.
“Under the Code of Criminal Procedure, the court typically accepts one primary case and orders others to be merged with it to avoid repeated trials or an ‘abuse of process,” he explained.
