The condition of Khadiza Akter Nargis, a Sylhet college student who was brutally hacked by a local Chhatra League leader last Monday, is now stable, hospital sources said yesterday. She is still being kept at the intensive care unit of Square Hospital in the city, they said.
However, Khadiza is not yet out of danger. The doctors treating her are hopeful that she may survive if her condition does not deteriorate in the next few days. Khadiza was able to move her eyes and arms on Saturday. This has improved her chances of survival, according to her doctors. When contacted, a doctor, preferring to remain anonymous, said there is no new information about Khadiza’s condition at this moment. “Her (Khadiza) condition is stable. If this continues for five to seven days, we hope to see her improve gradually,” he added. Abdul Kuddus, Khadiza’s uncle, told The Independent that her condition has not changed further since Saturday.
This has been corroborated by Rumana, a helpdesk officer at the hospital, who said that doctors would brief journalists about Khadiza's condition after three weeks unless there is any major change in the situation. On Saturday, Dr AM Rejaus Sattar of Square Hospital told reporters that Khadiza’s eyes, right arm, and right leg moved after they removed the ventilator and stopped medication on Friday morning. He also said Khadiza is still not fully conscious. She is now on ventilator support, which will be removed by doctors in charge of the ICU when she gains consciousness, he added.
 Khadiza Akter Nargis was brutally hacked at by Badrul Alam, a machete-wielding BCL leader, when she was coming out of the examination hall on Monday afternoon. Badrul, a fourth-year student of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), had been harassing her for a long time. When she turned down his advances, he decided to kill her out of vengeance.  People from all walks of life have protested the brutal attack and demanded the perpetrator’s exemplary punishment.