Ordeal of a petrol bomb victim

Former truck driver Golam Mostafa looks hapless as a bomb attack during a BNP-Jamaat sponsored blockade on February 7 in 2015 left him inactive. The photo has been published after blurring to make it appear less horrible. PHOTO: STAR

The trucker had a modest earning to lead a decent family life until a petrol bomb attack on February 7 in 2015 turned everything upside down, leaving them in utter helplessness.

The ill-fated man is Md Golam Mostafa, 37, son of Abdus Sattar of Choto Kumira Sardarpara of Arulia under Bogra Sadar upazila.

Mostafa and his helper Hashib got badly burnt in the truck cabin as supporters of a blockade programme sponsored by BNP-Jamaat alliance threw a petrol bomb on Bogra-Natore road at Rupihara in Bogra's Shajahanpur upazila around 7:30pm on Feb 7, 2015, when they were returning from Ahmedpur of Natore after unloading goods.

Hashib died at Shaheed Zaiur Rahman Medical College Hospital and Mostafa remained under treatment there for three months.

Later he was treated at the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital for another three months but he could not complete the treatment process due to financial problem.

"The petrol bomb burnt my face, throat and other parts of the body and my two hands became inactive. Now I with my family members are passing days half-fed," the trucker said.

"Earlier I bought two decimals of land at Chhoto Kumira of Bogra town, made a small tin-shed house and settled there with wife Golapi Begum. Two sons and two daughters were born to us and we had been living happily with my income. But the bomb attack has ravaged the whole family.

"My elder son Ibrahim, 18, started working as a bus helper, leaving his study. We married off our elder daughter Nurjahan, 16, in 2015 and had to borrow a lot for the purpose. Our two other children are Nurunnabi, 9, daughter Moriom, 6," he said.

His wife Golapi Begum said she has to work as a domestic help to feed the family, besides nursing her now physically challenged husband.

She demanded exemplary punishment of BNP-Jamaat men who were responsible for the petrol bomb attack on her husband and others.

Seeking government's help for completing his treatment, Mostafa wrote an application to the Office of the Prime Minister through the deputy commissioner (DC) of Bogra on January 25, 2017. 

Bogra DC Md Ashraf Uddin said the application was forwarded to the principal secretary at the PM's office on February 5.