Chattogram Correspondent:

A tense silence hung outside the ICU. Inside, a 12-year-old girl was fighting for her life on life support after a bullet entered below her eye and caused severe brain damage. Her devastated family wept helplessly in the hospital corridor, waiting anxiously for any sign of hope.

At that moment, Chattogram Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Zahidul Islam Mian arrived at the hospital — not with official ceremony or protocol, but seemingly as a guardian standing beside a wounded child.

The girl, Reshma Akter, was caught in crossfire during a shooting in the Raofabad Shaheed Minar Lane area under Bayezid Police Station in Chattogram on Thursday night.

According to witnesses, around 9:50pm, five to six masked assailants opened fire on a young man named Hasan. Hasan was killed on the spot, while Reshma, an innocent passerby who had stepped out of her home to buy betel leaf for her family, was struck by a bullet.

She was first taken to a private hospital in the city, where doctors later placed her on life support as her condition deteriorated.

After learning about the incident, the DC visited the hospital on Friday. ADC  Syed Mahbubul Haque accompanied him.

The DC spoke at length with doctors treating the child and personally reviewed her CT scan reports. Physicians informed him that the bullet had entered through her eye and caused extensive brain injuries, leaving her in critical condition.

Witnesses at the hospital said the DC appeared visibly emotional after hearing about the severity of the injuries and seeing Reshma’s mother break down in tears.

He later consoled the family and immediately arranged financial assistance from the district administration after learning about their severe financial hardship.

Speaking to reporters, Zahidul Islam said, “It is heartbreaking that an innocent child became a victim of violence in this way. The incident has shaken all of us on a human level. No act of terrorism or armed violence will be tolerated.”

He said law enforcement agencies and intelligence units had already begun working to identify and arrest those responsible.

“This is clearly a sign of deteriorating law and order. I have already spoken to the relevant authorities and the superintendent of police. We are trying our best to bring the perpetrators under the law as quickly as possible,” he said while responding to the questions of the journalists.

The DC also reiterated the administration’s tough stance against armed criminals in Chattogram.

“Just as operations in Jangal Salimpur brought an area once known as a safe haven for criminals under full administrative control, strict action will also be taken against those involved in this incident,” he said.

The DC also highlighted the family’s financial struggles. Reshma’s father, Md Riaz Ahmed, is physically disabled and earns a living by selling betel leaf and vegetables to support his five children.

“Considering the family’s condition, we have provided financial assistance from the district administration, and further support will continue,” he said.

But Zahidul Islam’s involvement did not end with a hospital visit.

When Reshma’s condition worsened further and doctors decided to transfer her to Chattogram Medical College Hospital, the DC personally called the hospital’s director, Brig Gen Mohammad Taslim Uddin, requesting immediate ICU admission and emergency surgical support for the child.

He also tried to contact Reshma’s brother, Ejaz Hossain. As Ejaz was inside the ambulance and unable to receive the call, the DC’s staff officer later contacted him and informed him that the DC  had already spoken to hospital authorities and requested the highest priority for Reshma’s treatment.

Brig Gen Mohammad Taslim Uddin praised the DC’s initiative, saying, “The DC  often calls us requesting special attention for poor and helpless patients. He called again today regarding Reshma’s treatment. We will ensure the highest possible medical care for her.”

Reshma’s brother, Ejaz Hossain, said the family was deeply moved by the gesture.

“A DC came to the hospital himself on a holiday to stand beside a family like ours. He did not stop after giving financial assistance. Later he again called to check on her treatment. He truly is a humane DC,” he said.

Standing beside Reshma’s bloodstained hospital bed, DC Zahidul Islam may not have been able to promise her life back. But he did leave behind a message — that the doors of the state are always open to ordinary people.