Another arson victim succumbed to his injuries at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital yesterday after fighting death for six days.
Twenty-six year old Abul Kalam Hawlader from Agoiljhara of Barisal suffered 33% burns, a severely damaged respiratory system and face on Friday – the fourth day of the BNP-led alliance’s non-stop blockade.
The poor chauffeur was waiting inside a parked car on a roadside in Moghbazar in the capital, when a petrol bomb was thrown inside.
He was admitted to the DMCH Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit on the night of that day and shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) a couple of days later where he died yesterday.
At least 11 other people with no reported political affiliation have also been writhing in pain at the burn unit of DMCH who had suffered various degrees of burns during the last few days’ political violence.
Most of them are the sole bread earners in their poor or lower-middle class families. So far, a total of 22 people have taken treatment at the DMCH burn unit. Since January 5, three victims of political violence including Kalam have died at the burn unit.
Masum, 15, a bus helper from Narsingdi, suffered burns when miscreants torched a parked vehicle on Wednesday night. He received 20% burns with his face and the upper part of his body taking most of the blow. He was sleeping inside the bus when it was set on fire.
Masum’s father is a rickshaw-puller. Because all his siblings are sisters, he had to take over the responsibility of earning bread for his family instead of going to school.
“His parents have been informed. They are on their way to Dhaka to see their son,” said Masum’s uncle Malek Miah who lives in Dhaka.
Mohammad Selim, driver of a human haulier, got 36% burns on his face and upper torso when pickets torched his new vehicle at the capital’s Kamalapur area on Sunday.
He said he had borrowed a handsome amount from a bank only six months ago to buy the vehicle. Writhing in pain, he told this reporter: “I will not drive again. Just save my life. What was my fault?”
Selim was admitted to the DMCH on Sunday. On that evening, four to five blockade supporters set fire to his vehicle while he was going to Motijheel from Mughda.
“I thought they were passengers. They signalled me to pull over and when I came close they hurled brick chips at my laguna [human haulier] and set in on fire.”
Selim was working extra hours that evening because he needed additional cash to pay for the bank loan installment.
His wife Hashi Begum has been attending him since. She left her two school-going children at one of their relatives’ place. She said: “The pain does not let him sleep at night.”
Trucker Piar Ahmed, 55, received injuries when miscreants set his truck on fire in Comilla on Sunday. A year ago, he sent his son abroad by borrowing Tk2 lakh. His son came back empty handed. Since then, Piar had been putting in extra effort to earn more money to pay for his debt.
Partha Sankar Paul, resident medical officer of the burn unit, said none of the 11 people admitted to the burn unit was out of danger.