The calculations of Sagar, a 20-year old goldsmith, proved wrong that it would be better to return home early to avoid possible violence during the hartal hours.
On Sunday night, following his instincts, he left his shop at Shankharibazaar at 9 PM, an hour before his normal schedule, and set out for home at Keraniganj in a leguna.
As the leguna, carrying 17 passengers reached Kabi Nazrul College in 20 minutes it was set on fire leaving at least seven injured.
‘Suddenly we heard the sound of an explosion and the vehicle was aflame,’ recalled Sagar who was lucky to escape suffering burn injuries on 25 per cent of his body..
It was far worse for 35-year old Montu Pal who is battling for life suffering serious burns all over his body.
Montu is under treatment at the intensive care of DMCH burn unit.
With his meagre earning Montu has to support his mother and wife.
The house owner has been mounting pressure for the rent of the accommodation in which they live.
His wife Sanju Rani Pal said she did not know how to meet the extra burden of treatment cost.
‘I am afraid of our future,’ she said.
‘We have none to blame for our misfortune except our fate,’ Sanju told New Age in tears.
Doctors at DMCH said Montu’s life was at risk.
Sutrapur police sub-inspector Md Mahbubul Alam said that a case was filed against 15 or 16 unnamed people for the incident.
However, none was arrested in this connection, he said.
Pick up van helper Amzad Hossain Sumon, 18, suffered burns in both hands in petrol bomb explosion on the vehicle at the BGB Second Gate near Azimpur.
Poverty forced him to come to Dhaka in serach of work discontinuing studies when he was a Class XI student in Lakshmipur.
Out of a monthly earning of Tk 8,000 or so Sumon sends Tk 4,000 to support his parents and the education of three younger siblings.
He lives at Lalbagh with an uncle.
At Dhanmondi, 12-year old leguna helper Milon, suffered severe burns on way to his aunt’s house when the vehicle he was travelling by as a passenger was torched on Sunday night.
Lying on at DMCH bed, Milon recounted his terrible experience on an off day.
The long search for him by family members ended when a cousin came to know about his whereabouts from TV news at in the early hours of Monday.
They all rushed to the DMCH and found Milon lying on the hospital bed.
‘Why we have to be victims of politics in which we have no role?’ asked his mother Jahanara Begum.
Since October 25, more 50 persons with burn injuries they suffered in torching of vehicles or cracker attacks were admitted to DMCH burn and plastic surgery unit, resident surgeon Partha Shankar Pal told New Age.
He described the condition of four as critical.
At least two other victims died on November 4 and 8.
Courtesy of New Age
