Families of the three Eden College students, who were injured in yesterday’s petrol bomb attack on a passenger bus, alleged that the government had failed to provide security to the people of the country.
“Our children cannot even go to their education institutions to get education. There is no life security for our children when they are outside. If the government cannot provide security for our lives, then it does not have the right to remain in office,” said Md Khokon Miah, the worried father of Sathi Akhtar, one of the victims.
The middle-aged man was waiting outside the Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) to receive updates on his daughter Sathi, 20, who was inside undergoing treatment along with another friend, Sharmin Akhtar Juthi, 19.
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune while waiting, Khokon said: “What more can we say about what happened? We have lost our strength to speak.
“It seems we have yet to gain the freedom to live; we cannot even move freely on the streets.”
Sathi, and Juthi, along with their friends Maimuna Akhtar, 20, and Afrin Akhtar Mukti, 20, - who is also Sathi’s cousin – were on their way home in Mirpur from their college – where they are first-year students at the Islamic studies department – in Azimpur, when their bus was attacked.
The miscreants came on motorcycles and hurled petrol bombs at the bus when it was crossing the Zia Udyan area around 1:40pm. As the entire bus caught on fire, Maimuna acted on instinct and tried to escape through a window, followed by Mukti. The both sustained minor injuries while jumping off the bus.
But Sathi and Juthi were not as lucky, as they could not escape the fire on time – Sathi received 5% burn injuries in her left leg, which Juthi received 8% burns in her left arm and leg. Maimuna and Mukti received primary treatment at the DMCH and were released.
The girls went to college to pay examination fees, Khokon said.
The Dhaka Tribune also talked to Harun-or-Rashid, Sathi’s uncle and Mukti’s father, who voiced similar sentiment as Khokon.
“We no longer want the leadership of those two women [Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia]. They are doing all this for their own personal interests, and we the common people are paying the price for their destructive activities, our children taking the brunt of it,” said Rashid.
Dr Partha Shankar Pal, resident surgeon at the burn institute, told the Dhaka Tribune that both Sathi and Juthi were out of danger, they would have to stay in the hospital for a while.
Habibunnabi, additional deputy commissioner of Tejgaon division at police, said: “The two pickets came at one side of the bus, threw the petrol bombs inside and feld. We are looking into the incident and trying to trace the attackers’ whereabouts.”
Earlier on Saturday, five policemen and nine others were injured in crude bomb explosion and petrol bomb attack at two different incidents in the capital. All were taken to the DMCH for treatment.
Nahid terms the attack ‘inhuman’
Visiting the burn victims at the DMCH yesterday around 3pm, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said: “This is not an act of humans. These animals are killing students and teachers by setting them on fire.”
Addressing the pro-blockade activists, the minister further said: “Carry out your demonstrations in some other way; please stop these inhuman activities. The way you are running your demonstration is harmful for the nation as innocent children, who are the future of this country, are getting hurt.”
He further said: “These people showed similar brutality during this government’s previous term. Now they have started again, but all they have been able to do is kill people.”
Nahid’s visit was followed by a visit from Zahid Malik, state minister of health and family welfare. After visiting the two students, the state minister said police, Rapid Action Battalion and Border Guard Bangladesh were working to improve the situation in the country.
Asked if the law enforcement agencies were failing to control the situation, he said: “They have not failed yet as they are still working on it.”
He also said the armed forces could also join in to improve the situation, if necessary.
During the 13 days of the ongoing indefinite blockade by the BNP-led 20-party alliance across the country, at least 28 people have been killed in different incidence of political violence. A number of injured are burn victims, 30 of whom were taken to the DMCH burn institute. At present, 18 such burn victims are undergoing treatment at the hospital.
