They did little, paid only lip service in last 4 years

Mymensingh cinema blast victim Shaheen making view cards at the Community Centre for Handicapped in the town. PHOTO: STAR

He lives on with all his hopes shattered by the horrific cinema blasts in Mymensingh town on December 7, 2002, that killed 21 people and injured over 100, leaving 13 disabled.

Shaheen is among the few lucky ones trained by a local NGO-- Community Center for Handicapped (CCH)--to earn barely around Tk 1200 a month.

"I am lucky to get the chance. Some others (blast victims) are in worst condition", he told this correspondent at his CCH workplace in the town. A few other disabled people (not victims of the blast) also work there.

"I have no future. I don't know what I will do in future", he said casting a vacant look.

Shaheen was among the injured in the blasts that rocked Ajanta, Chhayabani, Aloka and Purobi cinema halls in the evening of December 7. Shaheen was an employee at Ajanta cinema.

After treatment at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, CCH helped him with a pair of artificial legs for free and trained him to make view cards.

He is the son of Mongal Sheikh of Akua area in the district town, who lives separately with his second wife.

The view cards Shaheen and his colleagues make at CCH have however good demand, he said. His earnings depend on his work.

After the incident, many government and non-government organisations and political parties gave assurances to support the victims to help them lead normal life but little has been done, Shaheen said.

CCH did a lot to rehabilitate me, he said. He expressed his gratitude to his trainer, Bappi, another disabled youth working with CCH.

A card sells at Tk 36 to 40. These are made of locally procured items like fine paper, straw, stalks of different agricultural products and oyster shells.

Meanwhile different socio-cultural, political and professional organisations and NGOs have taken up various programmes to commemorate the tragedy tomorrow.

The local unit of Bangladesh Human Rights Commission (BHRC), will form a human chain at Firoj-Jahangir Square in the town and hold a discussion meeting.

"Every year programmes are held marking the tragedy but that is all", another blast victim Fazal lamented.

Four cases were filed with a magistrate court here after the incident. Police arrested about 100 people including 31 Awami League leaders and activists. The AL men included its central leader Saber Hossain Chowdhury and Mymensingh district president Motiur Rahman. All of them later got bail from courts.

The masterminds behind the blasts became known when two top leaders of Islamist militant organisation Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB)--Ataur Rahman Sunny and Mamun--, arrested earlier this year, gave confessional statements that JMB was involved in the incidents.

The cases are still under trial with a magistrate court, said advocate Emdadul Haque Millat. Police are yet to arrest any of the culprits involved in the blasts.