‘No one came to see us’

Tofajjal Haque, an IT in-charge of BM Container Depot, was on duty when the depot caught fire on Saturday night. He was around 120 feet away from the explosion spot inside the container but could not save himself from the blaze.

Tofajjal is currently fighting for his life at the Burn and Plastic Surgery unit of CMCH.

"When the firefighters came, we felt a sigh of relief. None of us could imagine what awaited us a few moments later," said Tofajjal, lying in the unit's bed B-15.

"Suddenly, I felt immense heat on my face, head, and hands. I started running and at one stage I fell."

 "Next thing I know, someone was lifting me on the ambulance," added Tofajjal. 

A woeful Tofajjal, attended by his family at CMCH, said the BM Depot authorities are yet to visit any of the victims.

"I have heard that the depot authority issued a statement to stand by the families of the deceased and injured staffers with financial and other logistic support. However, no official has even come to see our state," he said.

Md Akter (32), a labourer of the depot, echoed the same, lying in a bed next to Tofajjal.

Akter, an employee of the Depot for four years, had no attendant by his bed.

"My family lives in Sandwip. My wife is there but she could not come and so I lie here alone," he said.

"We have been visited and cared for by many voluntary organisations but none from the company visited."

"I cannot believe that such a big company would show such irresponsible attitude. They are yet to provide any assistance for the injured who are fighting for their lives at the hospital," said 18-year-old injured worker Anwar Hossain's maternal uncle Abdul Mannan, who is attending him at CMCH.

Contacted, Major (retd) Shamsul Haider Siddique, general manager of BM Container Depot Limited, said their teams were in hospitals with food, medicine and blood from the very first day of the accident.

When informed about the injured staffers' accounts, he said he would look into it.