It was around 4am. Truck driver Md Badsha was driving his vehicle fast, with a sense of fear and anxiety. Because, he knew that some trucks have recently come under petrol bomb attacks on the roads across the country.
But he never imagined that it would be his very truck to fall victim to such attack. Even, he could not make sense of the reason why his assistant suddenly shoved him out the truck yesterday.
Finally he could realize. It was not because his assistant desired to be the driver of vehicle by taking control of the steering. It was because the assistant tried to save his boss from being burned down.
The assistant was succeed in his effort. But not fully. Because, the vehicle caught fire after a young man threw a petrol bomb in Signboard area of Naryanaganj, before he shoved the driver out the truck.
With seven per cent burn injuries in his body, Md Badsha, 38, a resident of Naogaon Sadar, was undergoing treatment at the Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).
He was driving the truck loaded with sacks of rice from Naogaon to Chittagong. But the bomb attack stopped his journey and sent him to the hospital bed.
The father of two daughter was running out from money to maintain his four member family. He took risk of his life to ensure food for his family members.
“I am suffering from pain. It is not a big matter. But I am worried about my family. Who would provide support to them?” Badsha, the lone bread winner of his family.
Since the beginning of the blockade enforced by BNP-led 20-party alliance 33 days ago, a total of 123 people with burn injuries had taken treatment at the DMCH, Dr Partha Shankar Paul, a resident surgeon at the Burn Institute of the DMCH.
Now, some 62 people are undergoing treatment in the hospital, he said.
Among the victims, seven are undergoing treatment at Intensive Care unit while eight others in High Dependency Unit, whom, we treating as critical one, he added.
Md Bacchu, a cargo helper, was among those victims who was undergoing treatment in the hospital having six per cent burn injuries in his body.
The condition of Bacchu, a resident of Razapur of Jhalokathi, considered to be critical as his inhalation system was affected badly, doctors said.
Bacchu used to live in Chittagong with his three sisters. After the death of his father, he is now the only earning member of his family.
He came under the attack by pickets in Lalpur area of Feni around 4.00am on Friday last.
A total of 36 people died after receiving burn injuries being attacked by petrol bombs across the country during blockade.
