Only remains of Mirpur slum fire are not just ashes

Agun! Agun! (Fire! Fire!) – shouts Fatema Akter.

Fear of the fire still shocks the eight-year-old. A fire raged through Chalantika slum in capital's Mirpur on last Friday.  

Her mother Rabeya Akter, 35, took her to a medical camp set up at Chalantika intersection.

The on-duty doctor advised Rabeya to keep her daughter away from fire of any kind while prescribing medicines. 

Like Fatema, many slum children – especially girls – are yet to come out of trauma they went through on the night of the fire. 

Shahid, a third-grader at Bangabandhu Primary Bidyaniketon, spent last three nights on road along with his parents. 

He also cannot go to the school as homeless shanty dwellers have taken shelter at the schoolhouse. 

Doctors at the medical camp suggested the authorities concerned to take necessary steps to help children recover from trauma. 

"We have given primary treatment to children with minor burn injuries," said Dr Anjuman Ara, member of Dhaka North City Corporation's Urban Primary Health Care Project, "but what they need is mental treatment from psychiatrists to come out of trauma.

Most slum dwellers now either live on roads or at their relatives' houses. Some of them also sleep at the charred shanties under the open sky. 

Rickshaw-van puller Jasim and his family, who spent Sunday night at their relative's house at Pallabi, came to Bangabandhu Bidyaniketon for food, on Monday morning. 

But there was no food for them till noon, Jasim angered. 

Ayesha Banu, a 25-year-old pregnant woman, did not get the kind of food she needed. 

"I can't have biryani or khichuri that they [authorities] serve. More than 100 pregnant women, like me, have been facing this for the last few days." 

"Jonmechi Ekhane, Morbo Ekhane" (we were born here and ready to die here) – read the placard that Septuagenarian Delwara Begum held.

A certain group wants to drive them out and it had plotted the fire, alleged Delwara. 

"We don't need skyscrapers; we want to rebuild our shanties." 

Rubel Hossain, 35, a shop owner at the slum, also claimed local ruling party men and lawmakers are trying to displace them. 

Local councillor Jabbar Hossain and also coordinator of food management told The Business Standard they are trying their best to provide food to the affected people.

"They are now finding it hard to manage food for all."

"There is also no separate food for pregnant women. We take it seriously from the next day," said Jabbar.

Meanwhile, on Monday afternoon, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader visited the fire-razed slum and assured the dwellers of no driving out.