Double blow to a family

Nirapada Das and his three brothers -- Haridhan, Krishnapada and Binay -- used to fish all day and return to their loving home in Chittagong city's North Kattali.

But now everything has changed.

First, the brothers lost their mother, who was suffering from old-age complications, on November 15 and then on Monday, Krishnapada, along with nine others, was killed in a stampede during the qulkhwani of former Chittagong city corporation mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury.

The accident happened as several hundred people scrambled for food at the narrow entrance to Rima Convention Centre in the port city. 

The family is now struggling to withstand the double blow.

"Our Ma left us a month ago. We just did her post-funeral rituals on Sunday. We were already in great shock and then the news of my brother's death struck us," 28-year-old Nirapada, who works at a local plastic factory, told this correspondent yesterday. 

Talking to The Daily Star, Chandana Das, wife of Krishnapada, 38, was shaking her head in disbelief.

"He [Krishnapada] didn't tell me that he was going to collect food at the qulkhwani. I would have never let him go had he told me," she said, adding that the sudden death of her husband has made the future of their 14-month-old daughter and four-year-old son uncertain.

Nirapada said they got Tk 5,000 in compensation from the local councillor and were waiting for more as promised.

Families of other victims were as shocked.

"Once we get all the details, we will hand over the compensation," Abul Kalam Azad, district relief and rehabilitation officer, said.

The district administration had promised to give Tk 25,000 to each family of the deceased while Mohiuddin's son Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel, had earlier said ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury, Awami League lawmaker from Raozan, would provide a compensation of Tk 1 lakh to each of the family of the deceased along with other financial aid their children. 

Chittagong Metropolitan Police yesterday formed a three-member committee, led by Deputy Commissioner (south) of CMP SM Mostain Hossain, to probe the stampede and submit its report within three working days.

The district administration suspended all the activities of the community centre where the stampede happened.