Bangladesh News

Eight-year-old Rayat understands that her mother has died. But he would not let them bury her.

It is when people talk of burying his mother that Shamsul Huda Rayat actually understands the meaning of death. And he starts sobbing–his lips twist in pains of losing someone so dear, his eyes restless.

“Please do not take my mother away! Please do not bury her! Mother was so good to me…she used to hold me in her lap while sleeping,” Rayat whimpers as he kisses the cold forehead of his dead mother.

Rayat’s mother Majeda Huda Joly was among the three persons who were electrocuted in two separate incidents in the city’s Moghbazar and Kadamtoli areas yesterday. Sub-Inspector Sobhan Sharif of Ramna Police Station said around 8:45am Majeda and her domestic help Rina caught snapped live wire of Desa that had fallen on the road early yesterday.

Five persons have so far died in electrocution in the last 22 hours.

Family members do not find a single word to console the eight-year-old boy at this moment. What can they say about Majeda’s death due to the mismanagement and irresponsibility of authorities that “maintain” electric wire?

“Mother promised to take me on a walk this Sunday as she could not do so yesterday. Mother, you used to tell me who would look after me if you had died and now you have really died,” utters the student of class III in choked voice.

“The negligence of the authorities concerned has cost these lives. I fear I will return dead some day. Irresponsibility and mismanagement of the authorities will take my life someday too,” said Kamrun Nahar Kajal, a pedestrian, in reaction to the tragic incident.

On Wednesday, Mariam Begum, 40, and her son Shawon, 4, died as they came in contact with a snapped live wire of Dhaka Electricity Supply Authority (Desa) in logged rain water at Lalbagh.

Two other deceased in yesterday’s incidents are Majeda’s domestic help Rina, 10, of Mobin Cottage of Gabtala Misti Lane in Moghbazar, and construction worker Ripon, 30, of Merajnagar, Kadamtoli.

Nasima Haque, sister of Majeda, said as soon as she stepped on the electric wire, a blast took place, burning her body up to the neck and tearing her stomach apart.

Majeda and Rina were on their way to the kitchen market at Bazar Lane after dropping Rayat at Biam School in Moghbazar, locals said.

“Locals cautioned Majeda about the wires but those were wrapped in red tape and she could not determine where to step,” said M Imroze, brother-in-law of Majeda.

“Biam School authorities called me over phone informing that my sister fell victim to an accident. When I tried her cell phone, a fire brigade personnel received the call and informed that Majeda and Rina died of electrocution and were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue,” Majeda’s sister Nasima said.

Rafiq Joardar, a relative to Majeda, said despite repeated requests, Desa authorities did not pay heeds to remove the live wire from the road.

Matiur Rahman, Desa Complaint Supervisor for Moghbazar zone, said they received an error signal form Bazar Lane transformer and resumed power supply 11 minutes after.

Around 20 minutes after reactivating the line, they heard that a wire was found fallen on the road, said Matiur, adding that when they reached the spot they found Majeda and Rina electrocuted. He said they immediately neutralised power supply in the area.

Construction worker Ripon was electrocuted around 12:30pm as he came in contact with an exhausted hanging cable while working on the first floor of an under-construction building at Kadamtoli, said his father-in-law Shahid Miah.

Shahid Miah also sustained injury as he tried to save Ripon. Locals rushed them to DMCH where the duty doctors declared Ripon dead at 2:15pm.