Acid-burnt baby dies as parents fight for life

Two-month-old Ahnaf Imtiaz lost the battle for survival at the Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) early yesterday. He was one of the unlucky ones who were burnt when an acid-laden truck collided with a bus on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway in Comilla on November 6.
His whole body was burnt by the corrosive chemical. His face, eyes and head were burnt and doctors on the first day of his admission said he may not survive.
His passing away puts the death toll of the accident to 15 with 17 others injured. His mother Shirin Akhter, 25, and father Ashraf Ali, 30, are also suffering from burn injuries.
Ashraf is in grave condition and Shirin is in a critical condition, doctors said. They are at the burn unit along with five other critically injured in the accident.
The parents have not been told that their dear child is no more.
"Will you just keep on writing? Won't you do anything to help us? How can we manage the expensive treatment for the three of us?" said the poor mother talking to The Daily Star.
Relatives of the three have appealed for financial assistance to be deposited in Ahnaf's grandfather Abdur Rashid's Agrani Bank Dhaka Air Force Base branch savings account No 131437.
"Why these innocent people have to suffer in such a way? How would these poor people bear the expensive treatment cost," questioned Shamantalal Sen, project director of the burn unit.
He assured the parents of all possible help from the social welfare department of the hospital.
The patients stressed the need for stern actions of the authorities concerned so that no one dares to handle corrosive chemicals callously. They said the government should pay for their treatment costs. They said there should be stronger vigilance on acid and its transportation.