Even as the story of Shahina in the aftermath of the Savar tragedy evoked nationwide anguish, more such tragic tales are unfolding in the wake of the Rana Plaza building collapse. Twenty-five-year-old Rehena Akter, and her husband Monsur Ali, 30, both perished in the Savar disaster. Rehena was the daughter of Ibrahim Ali, a footpath vegetable vendor, and hailed from Imandipur village under ward no-7 of Savar municipality. Monsur was the son of one Nemai Sheikh of Ghior Upazila under Manikganj district.
Rehena and Monsur used to work at the same factory at the Dhaka Export Processing Zone (DEPZ) for more than six years. They got married three years back. As Rehena had no one to look after her parents, she and her husband stayed at a rented house at 10/C, West Imandipur, with her parents. The couple left their jobs after their baby was born.
Later, they took jobs at Fantom Garments, located at the fourth floor of the Rana Plaza. During lunch hour they used to go to their house to feed their baby. On the day before the collapse of the Rana Plaza building, the couple went back home. On Tuesday night, the factory officials told workers if they did not join work on Wednesday, their salary would be deducted and they might also be terminated.
The poor couple went back
to work at the fourth floor of the Rana Plaza and never returned.
According to Sharmin Akter, a co-worker who was rescued, said most of the workers of the fourth floor were trapped inside the collapsed building and could not come out. Rehena’s body was found then and sent to the Enam Medical College Hospital.
However, Rehena’s family members couldn’t still trace Mosur. They went to all hospitals, where the bodies were kept. The grieving family members also posted Monsur’s photographs. But, they did not get any information about Monsur even nine days after the building had collapsed.
The army-led search team recovered the decomposed body of Monsur only on Thursday morning.
The couple’s seven-month-old baby isn’t aware that his parents won’t even return from work.
Nazma Begum, 50, was crying inconsolably at the death of her daughter Rehena and son-in-law Monsur. ‘‘Both my daughter and son-in-law used to work hard and they dreamt of making their son a doctor. I don’t know how I would bring this child up now,” she said.
She also added that her husband was ailing and they cannot afford his medical treatment.
Abdul Khayer, a Fire and Civil Defense official who was also part of the search team, said, “I went to see Robin, as I could remember vividly Shahina’s last words during our search operation.”
He also said, “As several media outlets carried out stories of Shahia, people now from home and abroad wanted to adopt orphan Robin.”
“If rich people take the responsibility of these hapless children, dreams of these innocent victims’ parents will be fulfilled,” he added.
Meanwhile, Rapid Action Battalion’s intelligence director Lt. Col. Ziaul Ahsan on Wednesday visited Robin and promised to donate him Tk. 5 lakh, which he got from the BGMEA for arresting Rana Plaza owner Sohel Rana.
Besides, a Lieutenant Commodore of Bangladesh Navy, currently working in Chittagong, who did not want to be named, also offered to adopt orphan Robin.
Another Bangladeshi couple, who are professors in a reputed university in London, also wanted to adopt Robin.
Besides, following the reports of The Independent, journalists from The New York Times and International Herald Tribune visited Robin.
-With The Independent input
