DHAKA NEWS
The day was to be worry-free for Tapoti Shaha with her caring husband by her side, overseeing her treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) yesterday.
But fate had other plans. In a cruel turn of events, it was Tapoti herself who had to spend the day by her husband, performing his cremation rituals. Her world had turned upside down.
“A great misfortune has befallen me. I have become a wretched widow,” wailed the grieving wife of Bibhash Chandra Saha over and over again at a crematorium in the capital.
Bibhash, chief crime reporter of The Independent, was killed in the capital's Dhanmondi on Friday afternoon. A bus had run him over.
Tapoti was scheduled to be admitted to DMCH for an operation over some health complications yesterday, said Bibhash's cousin Sujit Kumar Saha.
“Bibhash had completed the necessary preparations to admit Tapoti to the hospital. He had even booked a cabin for Tapoti.
“But the accident changed everything,” he said.
Another cousin, Shipra Bhakta said, “The couple did not have any children in their 16-year married life. It was very painful for them.
“Now with her husband gone, what will she live with? What consolation can we offer?”
The couple was preparing to go to the US, she said, adding that Tapoti will continue her medication and her operation will be held after the shraddha (after 15 days).
Bibhash's body was brought to be cremated at Sree Sree Baradeswari Mohashoshan at the capital's Rajarbagh in the afternoon where a heart-wrenching scene met these correspondents.
Relatives and friends were weeping, tears silently running down their cheeks while Tapoti continued to wail and choke on her tears, drowning the silence of the crematorium.
It was only after relatives took her away when the funeral rites could be initiated.
Sujit demanded proper investigation into the accident and exemplary punishment to the bus driver.
Homage and protest
Bibhash's body was brought to Dhaka Reporters Unity on a pick-up van having a freezer unit at 10:00am. Different organisations, journalist leaders and his colleagues arrived to pay their last respects.
Placing a wreath on the coffin on behalf of the newspaper, The Independent Editor Mahbubul Alam termed the accident “a murder” and demanded punishment of the responsible driver.
Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists President Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury said the journalist community has been repeatedly demanding precautionary measures to stop road accidents but such deaths continue to occur.
Later, different journalists' associations brought out a procession and formed a human chain before Jatiya Press Club demanding arrest and exemplary punishment of the driver. They also criticised the shipping minister for his alleged unconditional support for bus drivers.
They issued a 24-hour ultimatum over two demands and threatened to go for tougher movements otherwise.
One was on the authorities concerned to withdraw Dhanmondi Police Station Officer-in-Charge Moniruzzaman for firing shots in the air and charging baton on the crowd at the accident spot.
The other was on the bus company, Moitree Paribahan, to provide assurance of adequate compensation for the affected family.
During the programmes, the road on both sides from Purana Paltan intersection to the press club intersection was blocked from 11:00am to 1:30pm.
Dhaka Reporters Unity announced a three-day programme protesting the death.
Meanwhile, the inspector general of police expressed deep shock yesterday at the death and expressed his sympathy to the bereaved family.
Bibhash's cousin Rathindranath Saha filed a case with Dhanmondi Police Station on Friday night accusing the driver and helper.
Titu laid to rest
Shahiduzzaman Titu, senior photojournalist of local Daily Matabad of Barisal, was laid to rest at Barisal Muslim graveyard of the city yesterday noon, reports our Barisal correspondent.
Shahiduzzaman died when a bus rear-ended his rickshaw near Ruposhi Bangla Hotel in the capital on Friday afternoon and then ran him over.
Journalists of Barisal held protest programmes demanding punishment of the bus driver.
No comments:
Post a Comment