2 boiler blast survivors leave hospital

Md Badal Ali, who lost his three brothers in a deadly boiler explosion in Dinajpur Sadar upazila on April 19, returned home at Uttar Bhabanipur village under the upazila on Monday after one and a half months' treatment at Rangpur Medical College Hospital (RMCH).

Badal, 46, suffered almost 50 percent burn injuries in the boiler blast at Jamuna Automatic Rice Mill at Sheikhhati (Gopalganj) of Dinajpur Sadar upazila .

The explosion killed 17 people and injured 11 others.

Anisur Rahman, another victim of the boiler blast, also returned home at Uttar Bhabanipur village the same day.

During a visit to Badal's house yesterday, this correspondent saw villagers, relatives and friends coming to see him there.

“Thank Allah that He returned at least one of my sons," said Badal's mother Mokhiba Khatun, 69, sitting beside Badal on a bed under a tin-shed veranda.

Her three other sons Mokshed Ali, 55, Rustam Ali, 48, and Delwar Hossain, 40, were killed in the April 19 boiler blast.

“They left behind minor children,” said a tearful Mokhiba.

Badal said he learnt about the death of his three brothers on Sunday, the day before his release from hospital.

"My hands, legs and entire back got badly burnt. Doctors of RMCH conducted three operations on me. The blast has left me practically disabled," he said.

Doctors told him to revisit RMCH after 15 days.

"I am now worried to manage my family,” said Badal, father of three sons.

“After 15 days of the tragedy, our eldest son Md Rubel started the same job at Jessore to help the hard-pressed family,” said Roksana Begum, wife of Badal.

She said they spent around Tk 30,000 although the mill owner bore the main treatment expenses.

Recalling the fateful day, Badal said, "I was 100 feet away from the boiler when the blast occurred. There were many complaints about the boiler. But the mill owner never paid heed to the matter."

Subal Ghosh, proprietor of Jamuna Automatic Rice Mill in Dinajpur Sadar upazila, could not be arrested although a case was filed on April 24.

Redwanur Rahim, OC of Dinajpur Sadar Police Station, said police are still investigating the incident.

Dinajpur Deputy Commissioner Khairul Alam formed a six-member probe committee led by Md Mahbubur Rahman, additional district magistrate of Dinajpur, after the tragedy. The probe committee in their findings mentioned sheer negligence of the mill authorities.