Child injured by gunfire from Myanmar being transferred to Dhaka

Huzaifa Sultana Afnan, a child critically injured by gunfire from the Myanmar side of the border in Teknaf, is on life support and being sent to Dhaka for advanced medical treatment.

The information was confirmed on Tuesday (January 13) by Brigadier General Taslim Uddin, Director of Chattogram Medical College (CMCH) Hospital. He told Jago News that Afnan was admitted to the hospital in critical condition on Sunday afternoon around 4:30 pm. So far, there has been no improvement in his condition. The bullet remains lodged in his brain and could not be removed. Following the recommendation of the hospital’s medical board, he is being transferred to Dhaka for specialized treatment.

Afnan will receive care at the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital in Dhaka. The medical board convened to assess his condition on Tuesday at 11 am and recommended his urgent transfer to the capital.

Doctors said the bullet lodged in the child’s brain has caused excessive pressure. To relieve it, part of the skull was surgically opened—a recognized medical procedure and part of ongoing treatment.

Professor Dr Harun Or Rashid, Head of the ICU at CMCH, said the bullet is very close to the back of the brain, where critical blood vessels are located. Performing surgery in this area could cause severe bleeding and pose a life-threatening risk to the child.

Afnan’s uncle, Shawkat Ali, said the bullet entered through the mouth and went directly into the brain. He was quickly taken to the hospital. Although surgery was attempted at night, the risk was too high, and the bullet could not be removed. The incident occurred about three kilometers from the border area.

The shooting took place on Sunday (January 11) around 9 am in the Lombabil Techchibridge area of Whykong Union, Teknaf, while Huzaifa Afnan was at home. She was later admitted to CMCH in critical condition and has been on life support for an extended period.