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Dhaka building collapse: Shattered lives | Dhaka building collapse: Shattered lives |
(35 minutes later) | |
Kamola Begum could not stop her tears for even a moment as she waited to receive her husband's body. | Kamola Begum could not stop her tears for even a moment as she waited to receive her husband's body. |
Mohammad Hanif, 42, was among several hundred garment workers who died when a building collapsed in Savar near Dhaka last week. | Mohammad Hanif, 42, was among several hundred garment workers who died when a building collapsed in Savar near Dhaka last week. |
"Oh Allah! How am I going to feed and raise my daughters?" his widow asks, before she faints. | "Oh Allah! How am I going to feed and raise my daughters?" his widow asks, before she faints. |
Half an hour later she is conscious again, weeping. | Half an hour later she is conscious again, weeping. |
Mohammad Hanif was the lone bread-winner for his family of four. | Mohammad Hanif was the lone bread-winner for his family of four. |
He was a supervisor in one of the garment factories, which was housed in the Rana Plaza building. | He was a supervisor in one of the garment factories, which was housed in the Rana Plaza building. |
Kamola Begum says that Hanif received a phone call from the factory owner ordering him to go to work. | Kamola Begum says that Hanif received a phone call from the factory owner ordering him to go to work. |
"I pleaded with him not to go, but he said there was a shipment order and he might get a month's salary too. Now he is dead. | "I pleaded with him not to go, but he said there was a shipment order and he might get a month's salary too. Now he is dead. |
"I can't see my future. It's dark," she says. "I have no option but to rely on support from the government." | "I can't see my future. It's dark," she says. "I have no option but to rely on support from the government." |
'Desperately looking' | 'Desperately looking' |
Some 3,000 people were thought to have been working in the Rana Plaza when it collapsed. | Some 3,000 people were thought to have been working in the Rana Plaza when it collapsed. |
A bank and a number of shops in the building were shut after a crack was noticed a day earlier - but the three textile factories remained open, and workers were summoned in. | A bank and a number of shops in the building were shut after a crack was noticed a day earlier - but the three textile factories remained open, and workers were summoned in. |
Among them was a sewing machine operator, 32-year-old Salma Begum. | Among them was a sewing machine operator, 32-year-old Salma Begum. |
She had left her 12-year-old son Saleh at home. | She had left her 12-year-old son Saleh at home. |
"My mother gave me food before she left for duty. I heard about the collapse and rushed over there. I was desperately looking for her, but she was missing," Saleh says, bursting into tears. | "My mother gave me food before she left for duty. I heard about the collapse and rushed over there. I was desperately looking for her, but she was missing," Saleh says, bursting into tears. |
"We found her body after four days of frantic searching." | "We found her body after four days of frantic searching." |
Saleh says he loved his mother very much, even when she scolded him for not studying. | Saleh says he loved his mother very much, even when she scolded him for not studying. |
"My mother used to ask me all the time why I wouldn't study. But I didn't listen. I dropped out of school. | "My mother used to ask me all the time why I wouldn't study. But I didn't listen. I dropped out of school. |
"Who will scold me now?" he says, crying again. | |
Saleh has two sisters. His father Mostafizar, 38, is a rickshaw-puller, who transports goods in the local area. | Saleh has two sisters. His father Mostafizar, 38, is a rickshaw-puller, who transports goods in the local area. |
He came to Savar from Rangpur, a district in northern Bangladesh, hoping for "a better life", he says. | He came to Savar from Rangpur, a district in northern Bangladesh, hoping for "a better life", he says. |
"I was happy with my wife. We would argue about money and the hardships we faced but we always made up." | |
She was a "very good mother" and her income helped support the family but she would save her overtime earnings, says Mostafizar. | She was a "very good mother" and her income helped support the family but she would save her overtime earnings, says Mostafizar. |
"I knew it was important. We both hoped for a better future." | "I knew it was important. We both hoped for a better future." |
Now his hopes are shattered. | Now his hopes are shattered. |
His wife had left another garment factory with four months' salary still owed to her, he says. | |
"Threats by factory owners and managers to slash salaries over misconduct are nothing new to us. | |
"If you do not come and work, your salary will be cut - that's what they told the workers after the crack was seen. I asked Salma not to go but she did not listen." | "If you do not come and work, your salary will be cut - that's what they told the workers after the crack was seen. I asked Salma not to go but she did not listen." |
The victims' families are now demanding those responsible be put on trial and punished for forcing them to go to work. | The victims' families are now demanding those responsible be put on trial and punished for forcing them to go to work. |
"They are fraudsters," says Mostafizar as he collects the body of his wife, Salma, from police in Savar. |
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