Eid brings no joy to Faiza’s home
Last year, Abdus Sobhan, an employee at BM Container Depot in Sitakundu had gone to his home for Eid, three days early. Along with his cousins he bought a brown cow from the village market. He woke up early on Eid day. After saying his prayers he became busy chopping the meat. He spent the day with his family amid Eid festivities. But this year?
It is an entirely different picture at Abdus Sobhan’s house this Eid. There is no joy or excitement in their house. Just two days ago on last Friday, Abdus Sobhan returned home, but as the remains of a burnt skeleton.
His wife Ispahan Sultana couldn’t even see his face. Earlier, on 4 June, Abdus Sobhan died in the terrible fire and explosion at Sitakundu’s BM Container Depot. But his body couldn’t be identified until now. Later, the DNA sample of Abdus Sobhan’s 8-month old daughter Faiza Rahman was used to identify his body.
Ispahan Sultana broke into tears while recollecting the memories of her husband. Speaking over the phone, she said her husband was home last year. He bought the sacrificial cow from the village market along with his brothers. This year it seems like there’s no one at home. As if there’s nothing left.
Abdus Sobhan's house is in Shekherkheel village under Chattogram’s Banshkhali upazila. He worked as a supervisor for the ICD office at BM Container Depot in Sitakundu upazila. He had been working at the depot since 2013. He used to get a salary of about Tk 17,000. Abdus Sobhan and Ispahan Sultana were married about two years ago. Soon after, their daughter Faiza was born.
Reminiscing the night of the explosion, Ispahan Sultana said, “Abdus Sobhan went to the depot after learning about the fire. He was showing us the devastating fire over a video call. At one point I asked him to move further away from the fire. Within five minutes of that, there came the earsplitting sound of the explosion. Then everything went dark.”
Following that incident, Abdus Sobhan’s family were in panic. They moved from one hospital ward to another, yet they failed to find him. Being compelled the family had to provide DNA samples. Later, the body was finally identified last Thursday. He was buried at his village the next day, on Friday.
Ispahan Sultana recollected, “Last year the Eid was exactly the way we had wished for. It was our second Eid after marriage. On his way back from the depot, Abdus Sobhan had brought a lot of things. After he returned home, we made a lot of plans like how we will spend our lives or how the household will be run. But, all of it remains incomplete. He left, leaving me alone.”
Ispahan added, Abdus Sobhan had a brother and a sister. This time, other members of the family brought a cow together for qurbani. But, the joy is not the same as before. They no longer have the ability to buy sacrificial cattle like before as the family ran on Sobhan’s income.
Ispahan is now worried about her daughter Faiza. She wants her daughter to study in a good school and to do well in life. In fact, the whole family is dreaming about Faiza’s future. Ispahan said that all of her attention is centered on Faiza now. Faiza doesn’t yet realise that her father is no more. She lost her father’s love so soon.