The cold winter morning of yesterday saw a middle-aged woman asking people of the Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute of Dhaka Medical College Hospital for a hand-made fan.
This correspondent got curious to know why she was looking for a hand-made fan on such a cold morning day.
This reporter approached the woman and came to know that her husband came under arson attack and received burn injury and she needed a fan to soothe her husband’s burning sensation.
The woman who identified herself as Amena Begum said her husband, Saiful Islam, 45, is a CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver.
On Sunday he came under arson attack as he was going to Baniabari area after crossing the Mukterpur Bridge from Munshiganj.
Soon after he crossed the bridge, some pickets stopped his vehicle and broke his auto-rickshaw.
As he came out of the auto-rickshaw the miscreants pour petrol on his head and set him on fire. Since then, he has been undergoing treatment at the green ward of the burn institute with injury on his face and hands.
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Saiful, father of three children, posed a question: “Is it a crime to go for work? If we do not work how can we feed our family?”
The similar story goes with other arson victims at the burn institute at the DMCH. At present, a total of 10 people are undergoing treatment at the burn institute.
Dr Partha Shankar Pal, residential surgeon of the DMCH burn institute, said treatment of arson victims is a long procedure. Respiratory system of most of the patients has been affected..
Of the ten, condition of six patients was stated to be critical. Two of them have already been shifted to the Intensive Care Unit.
The two victims are Siddiqur Rahman, 45, an auto-rickshaw driver from Mymensing and Abul Kalam, a private car driver, from the capital’s Moghbazar area.
Siddiq was admitted with 17% burn injury but his condition was said to be critical as his inhalation system was affected.
The victim’s wife Sharifa Akhter said they were from a very poor family.
They were bearing the expense of treatment with the help of their well-wishers and neighbours, she said and asked this reporter if he too came to help her and if not she could not spare any more time as she had to attend her husband.
Another patient, Abul Kalam, who was suffering from 34% burn injury stopped talking. He is not in a state of talking to others, Safia Begum, mother of Kalam, said as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Please pray for my son. He is unable to speak. Please, pray for my son, pleaded Safia.
A total of 16 patients have taken treatment over the last eight days at the DMCH.
Of the injured, one bus helper Murad Mollah died while undergoing treatment last Sunday.
