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Published : 24 Mar 2025, 10:39 PM
A video is circulating on Facebook showing Tamim Iqbal lying motionless after suffering a severe heart attack. The doctors are doing their best to save his life, and have successfully averted the primary danger. But the former Bangladesh captain remained in a critical condition.
The Dhaka Premier League match started as it did any other day as Tamim, the captain of Mohammedan Sporting Club, participated in the toss against Shinepukur Cricket Club at Savar's BKSP No. 3 field on Monday.
But he experienced pain in the chest before the team took the field. He was then rushed to the KPJ Specialised Hospital and Nursing College nearby.
After some tests revealed issues, doctors suggested Tamim be kept under hospital care.
Match Referee Debabrata Paul said, Tamim then wanted to go to Dhaka and a helicopter was then called to the BKSP field to fly Tamim to Dhaka, but he could not board it as the chest pain intensified.
Debashis Chowdhury, chief physician of the BCB, said it was then that Tamim suffered the heart attack.
As Tamim lost consciousness, he was quickly brought back to KPJ hospital, while cardiovascular resuscitation (CPR) was being performed on him by Mohammedan trainer Yakub Chowdhury.
Later Debabrata, who was with him, said Tamim was foaming at the mouth and had no pulse.
After he was brought to the hospital, Tamim was subject to DC shock.
By then, the BCB was aware of Tamim’s condition. The board directors had been arriving at the BCB Headquarters since the morning to attend the 19th general meeting.
News of Tamim’s heart attack prompted them to suspend the meeting and start for the hospital.
The news sparked anxiety among the cricket fans of the country as everybody waited to hear news of Tamim with bated breath.
On his second trip to the hospital, Tamim underwent an angiogram, which detected a 100 percent blockage in the left anterior descending artery.
It pumps blood in the front and lower surface of the heart at a time. A block in the artery is extremely risky.
A doctor from the hospital said what Tamim had gone through was known as the “widowmaker heart attack”.
The doctors then decided on a stenting procedure, but Tamim’s family members had not yet reached the hospital, and Debabrata signed the authorisation for the surgery in their stead.
Dr Moniruzzaman Maruf led a successful stenting procedure on the block and restored blood flow, but Tamim had not yet averted danger. He was then kept at the cardiac care unit (CCU) for close observation.
Dr Rajib Hossain, medical director of the hospital, said it was crucial to keep Tamim under close watch at that time.
By then, Tamim’s family members reached the hospital, and his elder brother Nafees Iqbal and wife Ayesha Siddique stayed close to him.
Apart from that, BCB Chairman Faruque Ahmed, Director Mahbubul Anam, Nazmul Abedin, Akram Khan and Manjur Alam also visited Tamim at the hospital, as did his close friends.
Tamim regained consciousness two hours after the stent procedure and was able to speak to the doctors and his family, confirmed Debashis after exiting the CCU.
The Tigers opener was doing comparatively better than when he was rushed to the hospital, Mahbubul added.
After Mohammedan won the game by 7 wickets, his teammates - Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, among others, arrived at the hospital to meet him.
Later the BCB in a statement thanked doctors at KPJ Hospital for their prompt action to save Tamim’s life, while also requesting fans and supporters to not crowd the hospital by any means.
