With Rana Plaza victims, all the way

Beneficiaries of Meril-Prothom Alo Trust pose for a photograph at a get-together programme at CA Bhaban in Karwan Bazar. Photo: Dipu Malakar.
Beneficiaries of Meril-Prothom Alo Trust pose for a photograph at a get-together programme at CA Bhaban in Karwan Bazar. Photo: Dipu Malakar.

It was a mixture of tears and smiles - tears for parents who had lost their lives and smiles for support received in the hardest of times.

It has been six years since the Rana Plaza collapse, but the wounds are yet to heal. The victims of the tragedy, some maimed, some orphaned and almost all traumatised, are still suffering from the enormous tragedy that engulfed their lives. But despite all odds, they moving forward with their dreams for a better future, determined to do well for themselves and for society.

Prothom Alo Trust, provides assistance to a number of the Rana Plaza victims so they may turn around from the tragedy and start to live again, so the young ones may continue their education, to do well in their studies and serve the nation.

In commemoration of the six years since the tragedy struck, Prothom Alo Trust organised a get-together with the beneficiaries of the trust at CA Bhaban in Karwan Bazar on Saturday.

Prothom Alo editor Matiur Rahman speaking at the programme. Photo: Dipu Malakar.
Prothom Alo editor Matiur Rahman speaking at the programme. Photo: Dipu Malakar.

The programme started with Mahiya Akhter, a student from Agailjhara upazila of Barishal who lost her mother in Rana Plaza tragedy, singing a song dedicated to mothers.
As she sang in her emotion-choked voice, not a single eye remained dry in the hall.

“Nothing can fill the void created by that tragic accident. I will never get my mother back. But, all I can do is to finish my studies and fulfill my mother’s dream. I thank Prothom Alo for standing beside me,” Mahiya said.

Another student, Khadija Akhtar Mily, wants to be a doctor.

Her father's body was recovered 14 days after Rana Plaza collapsed. Her mother was miraculously rescued from the debris 72 hours after the collapse.

Khadija’s mother Rokeya Parvin said she always encourages her daughter to study hard so she can eventually be admitted to a public medical college as that was her father’s dream.

The Meril-Prothom Alo Trust Fund has accumulated Tk 22.6 million to support Rana Plaza victims. The trust provided 100 victims with Tk 100,000 each. Also, Tk 7.6 million was spent on emergency relief and medical treatment activities immediately after the collapse.

Mahiya Akhter sings a song dedicated to mothers. Photo: Dipu Malakar.
Mahiya Akhter sings a song dedicated to mothers. Photo: Dipu Malakar.

The trust has been giving regular assistance to 20 students of victim families to meet their education expenses. The initiative started on 20 April 2014 and will continue to provide assistance to the students till they complete their post-graduation, said Aziza Ahmed, chief operating officer of Prothom Alo Trust.

Alamin recently completed his graduation from Dhaka College’s Islamic History and Culture department.

He thanked Prothom Alo Trust for standing beside him when he was in desperate need.

While many of the young ones expressed their desire to be doctors and engineers, Nayan Hossain from Pabna, a student of class 7, said he wanted to be a cricketer. 'Help me get into BSKP," he appealed to Prothom Alo, "I can be a cricketer if I study at that school."

Yakub Ali who used to work in store department of a garment factory, said he was still struggling as he is now jobless.
“My right hand, right leg and ribs broke at the accident. I started a grocery shop with assistance received from Prothom Alo and some other organisations but couldn’t continue due to my physical condition. I can’t even bear the medical expenses as I’m jobless now,” Yakub lamented.

Prothom Alo editor Matiur Rahman expressed deep empathy towards the victim families and urged the students to study hard.

He urged the guardians to always inspire the students so that they can continue their studies.

“We will always be with you. You have to focus on your studies so that you can contribute to building the nation,” he added.

Urging the boys to desist from harmful habits such as smoking, drugs and bad company, editor Matiur said it was imperative that they focussed on sports, studies and constructive activity. He also appealed to the guardians not to marry off their girls until they completed their education and could fend for themselves independently.

Khadiza Akhter Mily who gets regular stipend from Prothom Alo Trust poses with her mother Rokeya Parvin . Khadiza wants to be a doctor to fulfill her father’s dream who was killed in Rana Plaza tragedy. Photo: Dipu Malakar
Khadiza Akhter Mily who gets regular stipend from Prothom Alo Trust poses with her mother Rokeya Parvin . Khadiza wants to be a doctor to fulfill her father’s dream who was killed in Rana Plaza tragedy. Photo: Dipu Malakar

Matiur Rahman also expressed gratitude to the artistes and others who came forward at the Meril-Prothom Alo platform to contribute towards the fund for the Rana Plaza victims.

Present at the event, research director of Center for Policy Dialogue’s (CPD) Khondaker Golam Moazzem said, “A lot of people extend help to victims immediately after any disaster but few think of providing long-term assistance. We hope Prothom Alo’s long-term assistance will help the students complete their studies.”

“Prothom Alo is more than a newspaper, it is a movement,” he added.

Rana Plaza, a multi-storey building in Savar, collapsed on 24 April 2013. More than 1100 people, mostly garments workers lost their lives in the disaster.

Prothom Alo associate editor Anisul Hoque said that there was happiness amidst all sorrow. He told the young ones who had lost a parent or both parents in the Rana Plaza collapse to take heart and inspiration from the examples of Prophet Mohammad (SM), poet Kazi Nazrul Islam and others who lost their parents at very early age, but achieved great heights.

Managing editor Sajjad Sharif, associate editor Abdul Quayyum, feature editor Sumana Sharmin and others also addressed the event.