Dreams survive burns and bombs

Salahuddin Palash, lodged at the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital’s burn unit, has suffered 25 percent burns on his hands and face.

Doctors say his left leg is crippled.

Whimpering in agony, his wife sitting beside in tears, his little daughter ‘Eva’ gazing blankly from a distance, Palash says in a feeble voice, "At least I am alive".

“(I’ve) been dressed in the morning… feeling a little better. Allah is testing (me), making me suffer. But I will not lose heart."

Hailing from Narayanganj’s Kanchpur, Palash is an employee at a shoe store at Dhaka’s Bashundhara City Complex.

On his way back home from work on Friday amid BNP’s transport blockade, petrol bombs lobbed at the bus he was travelling in at Jatrabarhi left Palash burnt.

Quivering in pain on Saturday, Palash sounded much better the next day, determined to stay alive and fulfill his life's dreams.

In the unit, bdnews24.com met several others like Palash who came to treat burns suffered during the ongoing political violence.

Md Khokon, one of them, has suffered 20 percent burn on his body.

His sister ‘Salma’ was seen spoon-feeding him at his hospital bed.

Salma told bdnews24.com that Khokon had a daughter a year ago. But the girl has problems in her leg. Khokon was saving up gradually for her treatment.

Khokon interrupted her saying, “I want to get better and return to work. No one in the family works except for me. If I live, I will get back to work the moment I get better.”

Salma was wiping tears with her eyes fixated on his brother’s burnt body.

Md Salahuddin, an employee at the Elephant Road’s City Super Market, is being treated at the High Dependency Unit (HDU) of DMCH’s burn unit.

He was on the same bus as Palash during the Jatrabarhi fire-bombing and suffered 28 percent burns.

Salahuddin’s wife ‘Urmi’ told bdnews24.com: “He wants to sit and we raised him. He’s been moving. Speaking to us. Inquiring about the kids. (I’ve) fed him some rice in the afternoon.”

Mother of two daughters, Urmi was extremely tense for the last 24 hours.

But she consoles her husband saying, “Allah will make you better. Everyone is praying. We will go back home. The boys are waiting for you.”

Among the 31 victims of the Jatrabarhi incident six were critical. Burn unit adviser Dr Samanta Lal Sen, however, said they were improving.

“Six of the burnt were in alarming condition. But now it seems they’ve recovered a bit,” he said.

Burn unit resident surgeon Partha Shankar Paul said, “The doctors are doing what they can to help them recover.”

He said 78 petrol bomb victims from across the country had been admitted to the hospital since Jan 5.

Among them, 21 have been sent home after treatment while 52 others are still being treated. Five of the victims have died.

The prime minister is supporting the expenses for their treatment of the victims. Two were sent abroad for better treatment while she has already ordered sending another two victims for treatment abroad.

The prime minister's deputy press secretary Ashraful Alam Khokan said 74 are under treatment in different hospitals of the country.

All those under treatment in Dhaka have received TK 10,000 as pocket expenses from the prime minister, he said.

Meanwhile, some victims were back on their feet even as new victims turned up.

Natore’s Nur Alam is one of them. He was trying to sit on the hospital bed, though barely a day ago, he was lying unconscious.

Alam has suffered 46 percent burns. His brother-in-law Mintu Mia says Alam looks 'a bit better' now.
 

"I think my sister will once again have a happy family.”

No great expectations of men and women who do not stand out in a crowd but who do not give up easily and gives the nation its never-say-die spirit amidst all the chaos and turmoil caused by squabbling politicians.