A Jahangirnagar University professor's eye surgery to remove pellet bullets fired by police has not been entirely successful. The pellet, which penetrated the retina, remains lodged inside. A second surgery is needed to extract it. The professor was admitted to the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital on July 16. After undergoing surgery, he was discharged on July 25. He is now preparing to travel to India for advanced treatment to remove the bullet.

Speaking to Bonik Barta on Saturday (August 3) morning, the injured professor, Dr. Lutful Elahi of the History Department, shared his ordeal. Dr. Elahi is a member of the executive committee of the Jahangirnagar University Teachers' Association and the secretary of the Teachers' Council for the Spirit of the Liberation War and Ideals of Bangabandhu.

On the evening of July 15, leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) attacked a protest march by quota reform activists. In response, the protesters gathered in front of Vice-Chancellor Nurul Alam's residence around 8:45 PM. Despite dialogue attempts by university officials at 10:30 PM, the protesters continued their demonstration. At midnight, rumors of another impending attack prompted the activists to take shelter within the Vice-Chancellor's residence compound. Ten minutes later, over 150 BCL leaders and external assailants arrived and began hurling glass bottles and bricks at the protesters from outside the compound wall. Eventually, the attackers breached the compound and started beating the demonstrators, injuring over a hundred students. Police then fired pellet bullets to control the situation. During the chaos, Dr. Lutful Elahi was shot on the body and right eye.

Following initial treatment at Enam Medical College Hospital in Savar, Dr. Elahi was transferred to the National Institute of Ophthalmology in the capital for advanced care on the morning of July 16. He underwent eye surgery the same day. To ensure proper treatment, the hospital formed a six-member medical board chaired by Professor Dr. Md. Abdul Kader, the institute's director. Other members included Dr. Mezbahul Alam, Dr. Utpal Kumar Kundu, Dr. Samarendra Nath Adhikari, Dr. Shayamal Kumar Sarkar, and Dr. Md. Mahabubul Haque.

Dr. Elahi reported, “The lens and cornea of my eye are intact. The pellet pierced the retina and remains inside. The doctors couldn't remove it during the initial surgery. I had a check-up today, and there's internal bleeding. I need another surgery to remove the pellet, so I'm preparing to go to India.”