| I am outrage of this unequal treatment since they are not BDR or Army personnel. You offer TK10 lacks to Army and keep others under drains, it's time to awake up Bangladesh Govt and have self assesment of making class war in Bangladesh. Every human being is accounted and should be respected and treated like others and should get compensation for the victims. Regards, M. M. Chowdhury (Mithu), USA Civilian deaths, grieving families overlooked | | | | Wed, Mar 4th, 2009 6:02 pm BdST | | | Abu Noman Sajib
bdnews24.com correspondent
Dhaka, March 4 (bdnews24.com)—No official authorities have been in touch to investigate or help, says Rashida Begum whose husband, 52-year old construction worker Amjad Ali, was killed by a stray bullet on Feb 25 in the early hours of the BDR mutiny.
"I had seen my husband sleeping when I left home in the morning. Returning at noon, I learnt that he had been shot," Rashida told bdnews24.com on Tuesday.
Ali was hit by a bullet near Gate 5 of the BDR Headquarters in Hazaribagh around noon on Feb 25, as he was out buying medicine.
"Not knowing where to go, or what to do, my youngest son and I ran from one hospital to another," said Rashida.
"We eventually found his body at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue."
Ali's family live in a ten feet by eight feet dwelling at Rana Bakery Lane slum in Hazaribagh, paying rent of Tk 1,200 a month.
Of her six children, the eldest lives in Mymensingh with his family. Muslim, the second son, works at a grocery store near their home, earning Tk 2,000 a month.
This and another Tk 1,500 earned by the mother herself as a domestic help is the total income of the family.
"We had to borrow more than Tk 10,000 to take my husband's body to his village home for burial," she said.
"We are so poor that we can hardly manage our daily food," said Rashida.
Muslim looks plainly shattered by the bereavement.
The three younger children Robin, 5, Babu, 10, and Putul, 6, don't yet comprehend their father is dead, bdnews24.com's correspondent learnt in conversation with them.
Asked if the family has received any assistance from any government or private sources since the tragedy, Rashida said, "My son, we are poor slum dwellers. Who'll come to enquire into our wellbeing?"
His red T-shirt turned redder with blood
Fourteen year-old Hridoy Bepari was hit in the head by a stray bullet opposite the main gate of BDR HQ in Dhanmondi as he went to see what the shooting was all about on the first fateful day.
Hridoy used to help his 50 year-old father Raja Miah, and elder brother Jasim, sell vegetables from a van.
Finishing his day's work last Wednesday, he approached the Peelkhana compound to get a firsthand impression of what was happening.
He never returned home.
At the family home, on Haji Afsaruddin Road in Zigatola, Hridoy's mother Hamida Begum and grandmother Sabia Khatun are mourning the teenager's death.
Four awestruck sisters of the boy sat quietly beside them on Tuesday night.
"We don't know how we'll pass our days without him," said Hamida.
The grandmother said, "He is gone all of a sudden."
Raja Miah, the father, retold the tragic day: "As always, my son had gone to Karwan Bazar that morning and then loaded the van with the day's purchases."
"I sold vegetables for three hours and came back home, leaving Hridoy," he said.
"Someone phoned us later and said the boy was shot. After searching all possible places, we found his body the following afternoon at Dhaka Medical College Hospital."
"We identified him by his red T-shirt, that had turned redder, soaked in blood," said the father, sobbing.
They took the body to their village home in Narayanganj district.
Asked if they had received or been offered any assistance from any source so far, the poor father said, "No. Even our local commissioner hasn't bother to ask us how we are coping."
"But a local leader advised me to see the commissioner myself, with all documents related to the catastrophe," said the grieving father.
Student shot rescuing policeman
Khandaker Tarique Aziz Sajib, a fourth year BBA student of People's University died after he was hit opposite BDR Gate 4 on February 25 at 3pm.
Arifur Rahman, an eye witness to the shooting, said, "Tarique was killed as he tried to rescue a policeman who'd been hit already. The policeman, however, was eventually saved."
Tarique, the son of retired deputy secretary ANM Shamsuddoha, was the second of three siblings.
Neighbours in Tolarbagh say the family have not returned since they went to Noakhali to bury their son.
Arafat Rahman Alex, Tarique's college and university mate, told bdnews24.com, "We passed our HSC eaxams together from Mirpur FM International College."
"Tarique was different from us, he was looking for a part-time job so that his parents wouldn't be pressured in providing for him."
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