Two more hartal victims, who sustained critical burn injuries during the 84-hour-long countrywide hartal at Phulgazi of Feni and Mohammadpur in the city, succumbed to their injuries at burn and plastic surgery unit of the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) early on Thursday. So far, four persons have died of burn injuries. The deceased were identified as Nasima Akhter, 30, wife of Manik Sardar, a swing operator of Delta Fashion Limited at Gazipur, and Abul Kashem alias Jali Kashem, 50, of Sreepur under Phulgazi in Feni.
On October 26, when Nasima was travelling on a bus to return home at Beribath of Mohammadpur area, some unidentified miscreants set the bus on fire. She suffered serious burn injuries. She died at the intensive care unit of the burn and plastic surgery unit of the DMCH around 1:45am.
Rahima Akhter, elder sister of Nasima, told The Independent, “I don’t know how I can take her body to my 84-year-old mother. No political leader or rich person has died. Only the poor are suffering.”
Abul Kashem, a farmer, sustained critical burn injuries during the hartal sponsored by the BNP-led 18-Party Alliance on November 12 when he was going to Sreepur Bazar under Phulgazi upazila in Feni on a rickshaw. Unidentified hooligans hurled petrol bombs at him around 4pm. He was rushed to the burn and plastic surgery unit of the DMCH. He died around 7.45am on Thursday.
Officer-in-charge of Phulgazi police station Syaid Mostafa, however, told The Independent: “Kashem sustained burn injuries when he was making a bomb. A case has been filed against him in this connection on Tuesday.”
Hazera Khatun, widow of the victim, and his son Rabiul Haque Kawsar denied the allegation. Rabiul, 25, told The Independent: “My father was a farmer and everyone in the area knows us. My father was never involved in politics. The police have made a false statement to protect the culprits.”
-With The Independent input
