Sylhet which is a panoramic
canvas of green landscapes has become the witness of a shocking accident that
occurred on 26 November 2022. There were only a handful of occasions when I
came across a vibrant young woman, Farzana Rikta, my neighbor, who fell victim
to a devastating fire at her home. Once known for her cheerful demeanor and
aspirations for a successful career, Rikta's life took a drastic turn as she
faced severe burns, and underwent numerous surgeries, including skin grafting
and plastic surgery.
The sharpest memory is that Rikta
is a cheerful, happy, and lively girl who used to have lunch with her
classmates while sitting in the canteen inside the premises of her college.
Since her childhood, she always aspired to pursue a good career. But, the harsh
ridicule of destiny completely shattered her dream, and the entire picture of
her life reversed. She couldn't return to the college campus where she was in
her first year before the tragic accident. It was very much painful for her as
she couldn't resume her studies, due to facing the severity of injuries.
The fateful day unfolded as
Rikta, in a hurry to attend a lab class, experienced a gas cylinder explosion
while cooking. It was the biggest explosion that caused the fire to explode,
and she immediately caught on fire. She started running outside but lost
consciousness, someone had the presence of mind to wrap her in a blanket and
throw her to the ground. She had been taken to the nearest hospital and
then shifted to the burn intensive care unit in Dhaka.
Once, I came up to see her
immediately after the accident at The Dhaka Burn Institute and found her
injuries so extensive, that she was put into a medically induced coma, and
cannulated. She had third-degree burns to approximately 60% of her body, including
her face, neck, chest, shoulder, stomach, hands, arms, etc.
The burns were so severe that
everyone from Sylhet came to see her in Dhaka, nobody thought she would
survive. She was in a coma for about six weeks, during which time she caught
pneumonia and had to use a ventilator to dislocate her breathing. She had to go
through full-depth skin grafting and plastic surgery in a coma.
I felt a deep sense of sadness,
grief, and hopelessness after I saw the survivor Rikta in a vulnerable state.
Imagining the pain and suffering Rikta is going through my empathy led to a
heightened sense of compassion and a desire to be supportive. There I found
some of her relatives among them one was saying “What’s the point of keeping
her alive? Better God might take her.' This is the reality that horrific burn
fighters have to face in society. In every sense, she had been getting
treatment from society as redundant.
Having heard that Rikta had been
discharged from the Hospital and moved to her house, I went to see her. Rikta
told me one of the hardest realities she was dealing with, was getting used to
how she had looked since her accident. She was scared that no one, not even her
dearest one would look at her without difficulty like before, but she knew that
she had to learn to deal with people staring with harsh comments. Other than
the pain of the surgeries this unkindness has been the hardest challenge to
overcome.
On another occasion, I noticed
her, after making a rare recovery and being discharged from the hospital she
had to work on balance, walking up and down stairs, grasping and holding things
with her hands and fingers, stretching her mouth, and learning how to speak
clearly. Nothing could stop her in her way to achieve success.
She started piecing her life back
together and aspires to build and strengthen connections within their
communities. She gathered the courage to face the aggressive people of this
society and started her journey as a rights activist, and it is also where she
found her passion. She finished her graduation and master's in Law to
understand the legal rights of disabled people. Invariably, these occasions
were punctuated by proof that she cared about her academic career.
She opened a nonprofit NGO to
give training to disabled women in society to empower them in the society.
Amidst the pain, some people's positive inspiration and a way of viewing life
have raised her motivation. Her mother and grandparents have been a great
support in her life journey, assisting at every step.
At one point, she thought she
wouldn't be able to complete her education. Her parents were distressed.
However, her determination did not disrupt. She made an effort. One after
another, several surgeries, operations, and the intensity of physical pain of
bearing those, which could not decline her self-confidence. The strong
aspiration to grow led her to pursue a Master's degree in Law. Finally, to
complete the long arc, she sacrificed her whole life to contribute to
charitable causes, support fellow survivors, or engage in activities that
promote healing. She personified perhaps the last generation of fire victim
women who didn’t stay inside homes in fear by confronting the harsh social
criticism. Instead, she stands as an inspiration for fire survivors, challenging
societal norms and becoming a beacon of hope.
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