As the nationwide blockade enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance continues, there seems to be no respite from crude bomb and petrol bomb attacks in sight.
New victims with burn injuries from the attacks keep pouring in at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) every day. The air is heavy with the pain-filled groans of the patients, and equally heart-wrenching grief of their families.
Abdur Rashid, 45, an auto-rickshaw driver, suffered severe burns when the bus he was travelling on was attacked by pickets near Nandan Park at Ashulia on Tuesday evening. He is currently undergoing treatment at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery at the DMCH.
Dr Partha Shankar Pal, resident surgeon at the burn institute, said Rashid had suffered 39% burn injuries, and his respiratory system had been severely affected. “His condition is critical,” the doctor told the Dhaka Tribune.
Rashid’s wife Rasheda Begum said: “My husband had gone to Aricha to visit his sister’s husband, who had recently recovered from heart complications. He went on Friday, but could not come home (at Kaliakair in Gazipur) as he could not get a bus due to the blockade.
“But when I told him about our three-year-old son Rahat falling ill from high fever on Tuesday, he started for home in the evening.”
Rashid’s bus was attacked around 7:30pm that day near Nandan Amusement Park in Ashulia.
“He never came home; fate brought him here instead,” a crying Rasheda said in front of the ICU.
Carrying her feverish son, she said: “I don’t know what to do now. At this point, I feel death would be better than suffering such pain.”
Three others people suffered burn injuries in the same attack – two of them students. They are being treated at the burn institute as well.
The students, Prithwiraj Chakroborty, 20, and his close friend Rajib Karmakar, 21, were going to Pritihwiraj’s sister’s house in Kaliakair to fetch Prithwiraj’s HSC certificate for university admission.
Before he could reach his sister’s house, Prithwiraj fell victim in the attack and received 4% burns in his hands. His friend Rajib suffered 7% burns.
Chandan Chakroborty, Prithwiraj’s father, told the Dhaka Tribune that his son had been offered a place at the accounting department of Mohammadpur Central University, while Rajib had secured a place at the political science department. The admission deadline at their university is on January 28.
“I don’t know what will happen to his admission. If he misses the deadline because of this attack, who will take the responsibility? My son’s future is at stake here,” Chandan told the Dhaka Tribune.
Another victim Nitai Sarker, 57, an accountant, suffered 2% burn injuries. He was going home at Baraipara on that bus after work at Aminbazar area.
In a separate incident in Feni, fabric trader Main Uddin, 30, received 8% burn injuries. Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, he said pickets attacked his auto-rickshaw on Basurhat Road in Daganbhuiyan upazila yesterday night.
“Will this ever end?” he asked.
According to the records at the burn institute, at least 42 victims blockade violence have been brought in since the blockade started.
At present, 21 victims are undergoing treatment at the hospital. A total of three patients have died while undergoing treatment so far.
