Acid victim fights for life, family flees home in fear

Acid victim Shahjahan Sarder at Shahzadpur Upazila Health Complex. PHOTO: STAR

His family members are seeking security of life due to continuous death threat given by their rivals to withdraw the case filed by the victim's elder brother.

Hospital sources said, Shahjahan Sarder, 45, son of Shitol Sarder of Ultadab village in Shahzadpur upazila sustained severe burn injuries on head, face, chest and in the lower parts of body. His two eyes have been damaged totally. He needs to be shifted to Dhaka for better treatment. But his family is helpless because of both threat and poverty. As a result, his condition is deteriorating day by day, victim's wife said.

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Family sources said, Shahjahan came under acid attack at his tea stall at his village at around 1.30 am on July 20.

A group of local rivals including Rahom Ali, a BNP cadre, stormed into the tea stall by breaking open the door and hurled acid on him while he was asleep. After receiving acid burn injuries, he cried out for help. The culprits managed to flee but the victim could identify some of them.

Local people rescued him in a critical condition. They rushed him to the hospital.

Victim's elder brother Eslam Sarder filed a case with Shahjadpur Police Station accusing 15 persons including Rahom Ali.

While talking to this correspondent, Eslam said police did not take any action against the culprits despite filing of the case.

He alleged that the accused are roaming in the area freely and giving death threat to the victim's family members demanding withdrawal of the case. The accused threatened to kill all the family members of the case if the case is not withdrawn within a week.

None of the accused was arrested to till filing of the report.

On contact, Shahjadpur Police Station officer-in-charge (OC) Zahangir Hossain admitted that the 'absconding' accused are giving threat to the family members. As they are hiding, they could not be arrested, he said.

Besides, some ruling party influentials are pressing police for not taking action against the accused, he added.