Looking at himself in the mirror brings nightmares for Khokon Chandro Bormon. His nose, upper lip and other portions of his face have been completely wiped out and his palate is also lost to the bullet wounds he had sustained during the student-led mass uprising that overthrew Sheikh Hasina and her government on August 5.
Khokon also lost his vision in the left eye and has been left with little vision in the other eye. The loss of palate has left him with the ability to take liquid food only.
The 23-year old youth spontaneously talks with people, but it has become聽 very difficult to understand his words.
鈥楢fter the incident, I could not recognise myself when I first looked at my image in the mirror. I鈥檓 afraid to look at myself in the mirror now,鈥� he said on Thursday.
His elder brother Khuka Chandra Barmon is staying with him at the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery and taking his care.
Khuka described that Khokon along with fellow protesters was trying to enter Dhaka from Narayanganj to participate in the 鈥楳arch to Dhaka鈥� programme, but were barred by law enforcers in Jatrabari.
He mentioned that pellets shot by the law enforcers first hit him in the hand and leg, but the second barrage of the pellets were shot from a very close range hitting him on the face. Local people and students took Khokon to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. From there he was sent to Dhaka Dental College and Hospital where he was put in the intensive care unit for five days. He was admitted to the Sheikh Hasina burn and plastic surgery hospital on August 15.
Referring to the physicians, Khuka said that Khokon鈥檚 complete treatment was not available in the country and the physicians contacted overseas hospitals. They received positive responses from Australia and Russia.
Khokon鈥檚 is a five-member hardworking low-income family with his mother working as a domestic help and father selling fish and vegetables. His elder brother earns by driving, while the youngest brother goes to school.
Khuka mentioned that the interim government鈥檚 health adviser Nurjahan Begum assured the family that the government would bear the expanses of his brother鈥檚聽 treatment abroad.
As Khokon does not own a passport and his present face is not identifiable, passport officials came at the hospital and managed to use his earlier photographs in the passport, said Khuka.
Khokon urged the government to take steps to begin his treatment abroad as soon as possible.
鈥業 cannot tolerate the pain anymore. My whole family is suffering for me,鈥� he said, stressing that he needed to return to work to help his family.
Khuka said that he could not join his workplace since August 5 as he was staying with his brother, further reducing their family income and increasing its financial stress.