'The building came crumbling down like there was an earthquake'
Jamal Sikder could be counting his lucky stars or thanking his guardian angel. Instead, he is left lamenting the loss of his friends, peers and possibly his livelihood.
The 35-year-old, an employee of Anika Sanitary in the capital's Gulistan, had just stepped out of the shop he had been working in for the past two years.
He had picked that moment to catch up with some of his friends in front of the shop.
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And that's when his world was upended.
"Within a few minutes, a loud blast shook the building and it felt like everything was crumbling down on us," recalled Jamal, who survived the blast but sustained some injuries.
The aftermath had also left the Kodomtoli resident unconscious.
News of the explosion also prompted his wife to go look for her husband.
Sitting on his bed at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where he was taken after being rescued by firefighters, Jamal said, "It seemed like there was a massive earthquake, not just an explosion."
"I am lucky to be back with my family. But my employer is still missing," he said.
