A UBC graduate student left blind after her husband allegedly gouged her eyes during a violent attack says she's shocked to learn of his death in a prison cell in Bangladesh.
Bangladeshi media reported Monday that Hassan Sayeed died of cardiac arrest in his cell in a Dhaka hospital, where he was awaiting trial for attempted murder related to the June attack on Rumana Monzur.
In a statement released by the University of B.C., Monzur said she didn't have much information about the death of her estranged husband, but called the news "shocking."
"The last six months have been very difficult for me and this news has not made my situation any easier," she said.
"My focus continues to be on my recovery and taking care of my daughter and my family."
Sayeed was accused was gouging Monzur's eyes and biting her throat and nose during a fight over her studies in Canada. The assault happened in front of the couple's five-year-old daughter.
Monzur returned to B.C. in July and underwent multiple surgeries, only to discover that the damage to both eyes is too severe to repair.
The Fulbright scholar has said she is determined to continue with her graduate degree in political science, but is currently on medical leave.
