The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) has become a site of mourning and desperate prayer. Outside the heavy doors, family members of 9-year-old Huzaifa Afnan wait in agonizing suspense, their eyes fixed on every movement of the medical staff.
Huzaifa Afnan, a young girl from the Teknaf border region, is currently fighting for her life after being struck by a bullet fired from across the Myanmar border.
The Incident
The tragedy occurred at approximately 9:00 AM on Sunday. After a night of heavy shelling and gunfire echoing from the Rakhine state of Myanmar, the morning seemed momentarily calm. Mohammad Ershad, the girl’s uncle, recounted the harrowing moments:
“The area was in panic all Saturday night due to the sound of gunfire. We stayed indoors. On Sunday morning, seeing the situation a bit calmer, I stepped out. Shortly after, my niece also came out to play. As she approached the road, firing broke out again from across the border. A bullet entered through her face and lodged in her head.”
Huzaifa Afnan was rushed to CMCH and admitted to the ICU by 6:00 PM on Sunday, where she was immediately placed on life support.
Medical Challenges
On Monday morning, Professor Harun Or Rashid, Head of the Department of Anesthesia and ICU at CMCH, provided a somber update on the girl’s condition. While a surgery was performed until 4:00 AM to stabilize her and reduce intracranial pressure, the bullet itself remains inside Huzaifa Afnan’s brain.
“The bullet has entered the brain. Removing it at this stage poses an extreme risk to her life,” Professor Harun Or Rashid stated. She remains in critical condition under constant observation.
Escalating Border Tension
The incident comes amid a sharp escalation in conflict within Myanmar’s Rakhine state. For the past three days, Myanmar junta forces have intensified air raids and drone strikes against positions held by the Arakan Army (AA) near Maungdaw Township.
Complicating the security landscape, three Rohingya armed groups have reportedly engaged in ground clashes with the Arakan Army. The proximity of these battles has left Bangladeshi border villages like Teknaf in constant fear. Explosions frequently shake residential homes, and stray bullets from the conflict continue to land in Bangladeshi territory, hitting houses, shrimp farms, and falling into the Naf River.
As of Monday afternoon, the atmosphere at CMCH remains heavy as the family of Huzaifa Afnan waits for a miracle, while the border community in Teknaf remains on high alert.
