The Bangladesh Eye Hospital and Institute in Dhanmondi has rejected accusations of performing surgery on the healthy eye of an 18-month-old child. In a statement released on Thursday (January 16), the hospital clarified that "no surgery was conducted on the child’s eyes" and emphasized that the matter had been "misrepresented."
Kazi Mezbahul Alam, the hospital's Chief Operating Officer, stated in a press release that an emergency meeting of the executive committee formed a five-member investigation team following the incident. The investigation revealed that the child had a foreign object (eyelash) under the eyelid and corneal damage. Dr. Sahed Ara Begum addressed the issue by removing the eyelashes from both eyes in an operating room, a process the hospital does not classify as surgery.
The statement further explained that the child's eyes were bandaged to treat abrasion-related issues, which is a standard procedure. The hospital noted that the entire process was communicated to the parents, but they misunderstood the situation. Rather than filing a complaint with the investigation committee, the parents chose to file a police report.
As part of the case, Dr. Sahed Ara Begum was arrested from her home on Wednesday night. However, she was granted bail by Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Masuma Rahman on Thursda
