[UPDATE: We received this from a reader on 5/15: “Found out recently, Babu has died. Actually ‘murdered’ would be the right word. I am trying to find out what happened, but in vain. Still trying…probably he did, saw, and knew too much! His body was found in a room of a hospital, there were signs of strangling. They had to shut him up! Just like that. So easy, so easy, so easy.”]
The following was translated and shared with One Struggle, with the intent to show the heroism of the masses, of the working class.
“Why is it that our greatest freedom fighters listed are always from the army or the trained soldiers? Why the names of regular freedom fighters are not there? … [T]heir name will not be written in history. They are going to keep digging and digging holes by risking their lives, in the hope of finding someone alive, all the way at the bottom of the collapsed building.”
***
by Arif Jebtik
translated by Nurun Nahar Zerin
1.
Last Thursday night, 2 am. 3 men were coming back to Savar from Sripur, which is near to Maona, after collecting machines to cut building. The van also carried 500 bottles of water from Dhaka. Right before Bypass road the van stopped to fill gas in a CNG station. Van was being filled while two men asked with unassumingly “are you all going to Savar?” They seemed to be poor (floating workers).
One young men from the van answered with the question “why, would you like to come along?”
“It would be very helpful if we could”.
They both had two big sacks full of some sort of instrument that created lot of noises. One young man from the van got suspicious and was straight forward.
He asked, “Show us what have you got in there that makes so much noise. We offer you a ride late at night, and you will run away after slitting our throat, that’s not happening”.
After inspecting both sacks lots of screw driver and local instruments were found.
Even though they were builders by profession, they mainly break the old buildings for reconstructions with the others labors. They were working at Voirob, after hearing about the incident at Savar, they couldn’t hold themselves back. By the time they had finished with their job and started towards Savar, it was late at night already, so they had to get off from the bus on this route of Gazipur. They were waiting for transportation towards Savar. No one of their own works in that factory of Savar, they have come however from their moral and humane support.
The elderly person among them said with complete determination- “for 21 years I have been working as a building breaker. If I don’t go during this time of turmoil, tell me who will!”
The story does not end there. To make it short I will say, last night at 4 am both of these people were seen to make a huge hole/cave from the left side of the collapsed building which led them all the way down to the third floor of the main building. While the elderly man seemed in full strength the young men however seemed to be tired and worn out. Perhaps the surrounding was too much for him to bear. He looked and gave a pale smile while he was trying to send down two bottle of oxygen.
Last night a young woman was brought to the field Hospital. By her get up I think she is from middle working class. Got to know someone that this young woman and few of her friends has been inside the Rana Plaza since Wednesday afternoon, they have rescued 50 people alive, and brought out 27 dead bodies! Her body was no longer able to tolerate, she became sense less due to the strong smell of decayed body in the air.
2.
Lots of people living abroad don’t have connection with their mother land. Where they live, there exist a magical number known as 911, where as soon as it pressed the help shows up quickly with siren. A headline is when a cat gets stuck on the roof of a house, and then the cat is rescued after many tricks. We all watch this big news sitting in front of the television with eyes wide open.
I found the army being praised in many of these immigrants writing. These experts absolutely believe that army is the only one behind the rescuing of people where everyone else is there to be a nuisance.
From an oxygen cylinder to an instrument to cut the building, foods and drink for the rescuer, medicines for the injured, shrouds for the dead; all of this necessary service is in progress by the army through the all mighty government. As if the public is wasting their time and energy by collecting money and taking necessary things over there. It’s not that the army is not working at all, but what percentage of their work is truly towards the rescuing of the people could be revealed by the public present at Savar. After four days passed, being pressured the army is requesting the public and the civilians for cutting instrument, tents etc. They have even informed the public of the fact that these things could be found in Noabpur. I would like to inform our government loving bloggers and face bookers that their government doesn’t even have the courage to build even one single tent on their own, that I have witnessed with my own eyes at Savar. The spokesman for the army really did give a good slap in the face of all the army lovers living abroad. ****
I think the fire service has got to become stronger in the future. Their workers working ability has amazed me. We should think about whether an emergency citizen rescue team could be put together by training the regular citizen. The main job of the army is to fight in a war, if they can at least do that, that will make me happy.
3.
Right now (28th April, 3 am), many people are sending me messages in the inbox querying about the current situation of Savar. I can’t tell about the current situation because I am not at Savar for a while. I can call and find out very well, however I don’t feel like disturbing someone with my phone call.
Lots of people have sent messages offering help for Savar. Your concern and initiative has touched me. I am a small person; therefore I am unable to be involved in the financial matter. I hope the victims will be able to receive all your help through someone else. Please forgive me, I am truly incapable. Unknown people have trusted me enough to send help through me, that gesture itself has touched me immensely.
4.
I thought if I upload the pictures of Savar, people from far away, people who are unable to be a part of physical help would look at us as their representative who are fighting day and night to save each life. Should there be another catastrophe somewhere else, where the rescuer from Savar might not be there, I thought it will bring a message of mental encouragement to everyone to jump to help without a second thought. I have lost the desire to upload the pictures. When one uploads such pictures, many thinks it is just to glorify ones ego.
I borrowed and added other pictures from face book. I don’t even know why I did it. One picture is of a guy name Babu. He has rescued 30 human completely on his own.
5.
Savar is one of the most exceptional experiences of my life. Why is it that our greatest freedom fighters listed are always from the army or the trained soldiers? Why the names of regular freedom fighters are not there? I had asked myself that question many times, and I have also found the answers at Savar. I won’t bring it to the writing; I will let that emotion and feeling be only mine.
Savar has taught me another most important thing in life. People who doesn’t have a television, a camera, newspaper, or not even a face booker or a blogger friend or relative living abroad, their name will not be written in history. They are going to keep digging and digging holes by risking their lives, in the hope of finding someone alive, all the way at the bottom of the collapsed building. As soon as they find someone alive they will push them upwards for someone intelligent to receive the body from a safer place to place the body in a stretcher and to run and take the body out in front of many cameras.
Savar has pointed finger in my eyes and showed that – history written and history seen are not the same.
