A UBC graduate student who was blinded in a brutal attack on a visit to Bangladesh is on her way back to Vancouver to receive medical treatment and complete her graduate degree in spite of the tragedy.
Rumana Monzur, 33, was allegedly assaulted by her husband on June 5, soon after returning home to Bangladesh to visit her friends and family.
Her husband is accused of gouging her eyes and biting her nose, face and throat during the assault, which happened in front of their five-year-old daughter following a blazing row over Monzur's studies in Canada. He was arrested on June 15 and remains behind bars.
Monzur will be returning to Vancouver on Tuesday, sooner than anyone had expected, taking many by surprise--a very pleasant surprise.
"I am amazed that she is coming home so quickly. This is amazing. I was not expecting her so soon," Marleen de Ruiter, a close friend of Monzur, told ctvbc.ca
Monzur had planned to return to the Vancouver's campus next August, but changed her traveling plans once she learned about the possibility of receiving additional medical attention at UBC.
"I extremely happy," said de Ruiter. "It is very soothing to know that she will be here with us, rather than far far away. Now we can all take care of her."
Monzur's father will be flying in with her, and her mother and daughter are expected soon.
Ophthalmologists at the UBC Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences will assess Monzur's eyesight and seek ways to restore her vision upon her arrival.
Surgeons in India and Bangladesh say it's unlikely her vision will ever be restored, but Monzur has inquired about further medical assistance with experts at UBC. Ophthalmologists will determine the gravity of her case and recommend treatment accordingly, Catherine Dauvergne, advisor to UBC President Stephen Toope, told ctvbc.ca.
"When it became clear that no further medical options for her were available in her home-country, we offered an additional assessment on her sight here," Dauvergne said.
She will be able to continue her studies with access to visual impairment services available on campus for blind students.
UBC has set up an online donation system to raise money for Monzur, and has collected $35,000 so far on her behalf.
But funding for her growing medical bills and living expenses in Canada continues to be a concern among relatives, friends and colleagues.
UBC hopes to motivate the community in Vancouver to donate more in order to double the amount raised and offer Monzur financial support while she recovers.
"Our goal is to raise $75,000. We are sure Rumana will have good use for at least that much money," Dauvergne said. "We have a goal and we are halfway there."
Representatives from different campus resources offices will meet with students at the St. John's College residence where Monzur lives to help them cope with her arrival and find ways to help her and her family once here.
If you want to help Rumana Monzur in Canada, visit this website.
One in every two women is a victim of domestic violence in Bangladesh and around 60 per cent of women are subjected to torture in the hands of their husbands, a UN World Development report says.
The Bangladesh Parliament passed a bill in 2010 aimed to protect women and children from physical, sexual and psychological abuse and other forms of domestic violence.
