‘She called me in the morning and asked me to hold her hand and hug. I
tried to hug, but the burn wounds she was suffering from did not allow
me to embrace her,’ Mahbubur Rahman, husband of Masuma, the latest
victim of Shahbag bus arson, was narrating his last intimate
moments.
Masuma died Wednesday morning at a private clinic in the capital 13 days after sustaining severe burn wounds.
Masuma Akter, 29, a second officer of Rupali Bank Shyambazar branch,
died at about 10:45am while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Burn Clinic on
Elephant Road, said Mahbubur Rahman
The death took the death toll in the incident to four.
On November 28, miscreants torched a Mirpur-bound bus of Bihanga
Paribahan, leaving 19 passengers severely burnt during the 71-hour
countrywide blockade programme enforced by BNP-led opposition alliance.
She married Mahbub five and half months ago. She wanted to become a government official and serve the country, said Mahmud.
Masuma, former student of English department at Dhaka University, was
shifted to the Dhaka Burn Clinic on November 30 two days after the
incident.
She was optimistic that she would survive. ‘When I will be healed, I
would not live in a country like this where innocent people are being
killed,’ Masuma told her husband.
Three other victims died at burn unit of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital on different dates.
On the day of the attack, Nahid Moral died while his cousin 25-year old
garment factory worker Md Robin died the next day at DMCH.
On December 4, 22-year old Ohidur Rahman, a student of Dhaka College, died after suffering for six days.
Several others are still undergoing treatment at the burn unit of DMCH as some of them are not yet out of danger.
Masuma’s body was on the way to Shibchar of Narsindhi for burial.
A case was filed against 16 opposition leaders and some unidentified
people with Shahbagh police station on the following day in connection
with the arson attack. (source)