With 60 percent burns, she battles for life

A college student set herself on fire near Shah Makhdum Police Station Complex in Rajshahi city on Saturday, moments after she stepped out of the police station.

With about 60 percent burns, Liza Rahman, 18, a second-year student of Rajshahi Government Women’s College, is battling for her life at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). She was taken to the hospital by a team of Shah Makhdum police the same day.

According to Golam Ruhul Kuddus, spokesperson of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police, Liza went to the police station at 11:30am on the day, asking them to help protect her marriage.

They sent her to the Victim Support Centre inside the complex in this regard, but she left the building without filing any complaint at 12:30pm and set herself on fire, he said.

Police and locals took her to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) right away, he added.

Dr Afroza Nazneen of RMCH burn unit told reporters that her condition was critical. So, in the afternoon, a three-member police team led by Sub-inspector Jewel Rana took her to Dhaka and admitted her at the DMCH burn unit.

Partha Shankar Pal, resident surgeon of the burn unit, told The Daily Star that the girl sustained around 60 percent burns and severe inhalation injuries.

“She is being treated at the High Dependency Unit since last [Saturday] night. We are thinking of shifting her to Intensive Care Unit (ICU),” Partha told The Daily Star yesterday.

An eyewitness told this correspondent that after Liza came out of the police station, she bought kerosene from a local store and poured it on her body. SM Masud Parvez, officer-in-charge of Shah Makhdum Police Station, said they were yet to find out from where she got kerosene.

Liza was raised in Gobindaganj of Gaibandha by a step-mother. Her father is in prison now, in a drug peddling case, said Ruhul Kuddus.

In January this year, Liza married one Shakhawat Hossain of Chapainawabganj through an affidavit made at a Gaibandha court. Shakhawat is a second-year student of Rajshahi City Government College. Both families did not accept their marriage, police said.

In July, Liza went to Nachole Police Station in Chapainawabganj with a similar complaint, said her friends. She said Shakhawat’s parents were not letting her see him.

Law enforcers then told Shakhawat’s father to accept the union. Afterwards, they started living together, renting a place in the city’s Paba area.

Officials of Shah Makhdum Police Station corroborated the incident.

On Saturday morning, when Shakhawat’s parents once again took him away from her, she decided to go to the police station, seeking help, said police.

The girl’s brother, who is with her at DMCH, alleged officials, while speaking to Liza, rebuked her for and refused to help. The officials of the station denied the allegations.

“She was sent to the support centre as they [police] wanted to help in solving her problem, but she went out of the building saying that she will be back soon,” said the RMP spokesperson.

This correspondent has been trying to contact other family members, authorities of the two colleges the young couple attended, shop owners outside the police complex and locals where the couple used to live since Saturday. Some of them did pick up their phones or spoke in person but all were unwilling to comment on the issue.