CLAUDIA indeed a friend in need
Most of the 17 foreign nationals brutally murdered by terrorists inside the Gulshan cafe were working for the economic and infrastructure development of Bangladesh. Besides, some of them did charity work out of their love for Bangladesh and its people. Italian national Claudia Maria is one such great soul.
She was not an expert in medical science and yet she did her best for the burn victims in Bangladesh to ensure free treatment.
She rushed from one place to another during her years of stay in the country to raise fund for the destitute out of her passion.
A true humanitarian, Claudia Maria D'Antona, 37, was among the nine Italian nationals killed by militants during the hostage standoff at Holey Artisan Restaurant and Bakery in the capital's Gulshan on July 1.
Her friends and well-wishers said the killing of a person like her would only serve to tarnish Bangladesh's image abroad.
“We will never forget her. The doctors, staff and patients who she helped will remain forever grateful,” said Samanta Lal Sen, coordinator of all burn units across the country.
Claudia's husband Gian Galeazzo Boschetti, who was involved in garment business in Bangladesh, was a good friend of Sen.
The couple were together at the restaurant, but Boschetti managed to escape. He is the only Italian to have survived the attack. He has flown to Italy after the deadliest and the first hostage situation in Bangladesh claimed by the Islamic State.
The terrorists killed 20 hostages, 17 of them foreigners, and two police officers.
Sen said he got acquainted with Claudia from the Italian city of Turin when collaborating with Interplast, an international voluntary association of plastic surgeons, in Bangladesh in 2004.
That year, a team of 12 to 13 Interplast experts visited Bangladesh.
Plans were set for them to stay at hotels that would cost a huge sum of money. But Claudia came up with the idea that the doctors should stay at her place in Baridhara and save the hotel bills so that the money could be spent on medicines for the poor, he said.
“This was the start. Since then, she accommodated many Italians at her place to save money for the poor,” Sen recalled.
If she failed to accommodate all the persons, she managed rooms at neighbours' houses. In addition, she arranged their food and transport.
She also helped get clearance for the medicine and other aids at the airport and from the National Board of Revenue.
“This she did singlehandedly and out of passion,” said Sen.
In an article published in this paper on Tuesday, Blerta Cela, head of Partnerships, Results and Resource Management of the UNDP Bangladesh, recognised her as a good friend who was involved in, among other works, fundraising for Italian doctors who came to Dhaka to help poor people.
Assistant Prof Nashir Uddin of the DMCH burn unit said Claudia was a generous person.
“Whenever I contacted her for official purposes she spoke with fondness and behaved in the manner of a noble person,” Nashir said.
Ibrahim Mollah, a support staff at the burn unit, said Claudia was ever helping and caring to burn victims.
When other people stayed away from deep-burn victims, Claudia got closer and even hugged them to encourage them.
“It is hard to believe that she was killed in such a brutal manner,” said Ibrahim.
Interplast is providing free plastic and reconstructive surgery worldwide, for people who do not have access to the otherwise costly treatment.
According to Sen, the organisation has been working with the DMCH burn unit over the last two decades.
In each visit, its team provides treatments, mainly plastic surgery, to about 100 patients for free. It has also been providing aids like medicines and medical equipment and also training to burn and plastic surgery doctors.
Comments