Kartik Das used to work as a labourer at a bag factory in Cox's Bazar. But he had to return home when the factory closed down following the general holiday announced by the government to combat Covid-19. He rented a house in Ramganj, Laxmipur.
Things started to go downhill after Kartik tested positive for the novel coronavirus. He found out his health was not the only thing he had to worry about. His landlord threatened to set fire to the room he was living in if he did not leave immediately.
Without a job and kicked out of his home, Kartik went to Nangalkot Railway Station on April 18 before police rescued him and sent him to an isolation centre.
Kartik had earlier contacted Ramganj police station and the upazila health complex, but did not get a good response.
Nangalkot police station OC Bakhtiyar said they received a complaint from Kartik and he was kept in the area for a day.
“He was sent back to Ramganj and, as far as I know, he is now undergoing treatment at Ramganj Upazila Health Complex,” he said.
However, Ramganj police OC Md Anwar Hossain said they did not receive any complaints of any kind.
A number of other Covid-19 patients, including health workers, have also raised their voices about how they were chased away from their localities because they tested positive for the infection.
“There was a time when society used to abandon AIDS or leprosy patients, and the experience we are facing is nothing less than that,” said a Covid-19 patient, asking to remain anonymous.
“It seems like getting infected with coronavirus is a sin,” he added.
Ashikur Rahman Raju, a videographer for a private television channel, contacted the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), suffering from severe body aches, fever, headache and cough – all symptoms of Covid-19.
“When health workers came to collect samples, the landlord and neighbours lost their tempers and kept asking me why I called them,” said Raju, who recovered from Covid-19 recently.
“I remember the landlord banging on my door when I was trying to call them [IEDCR]. He was acting like I was doing something wrong by calling them,” he added.
“I tried to explain to them that the check-up was a precaution and how getting testing would be good for all of us,” Raju continued.
The day he found out he was Covid-19 positive, Raju did not let the ambulance come all the way to his home, fearing it would upset the landlord. The landlord parked some distance away and he walked to it with his illness.
Shahidullah, a railway official who has also recovered from Covid-19, said neighbours showed no sympathy when he and his family were suffering through the infection.
“Instead, they humiliated us and kept making bad comments. This hurt my family and our motivation in trying to fight the virus,” he added.
Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police Headquarters (Media) Md Sohel Rana said rude behaviour towards Covid-19 patients was inhuman.
“We are requesting everyone to be kind to people who have been affected by Covid-19,” he said.
“If the police are informed about any non-cooperation, we will surely intervene and take action to settle problems,” he added.