Khandoker Abdul Jalil
Dedicated Firefighter
Khandoker Abdul Jalil from Islampur in Jamalpur district has been serving as a firefighter for 18 years. The 42-year-old received an award from the home ministry in 2014 for his outstanding service during the Rana Plaza disaster, in which more than a thousand garment workers were killed when an eight-storey commercial building collapsed in 2013. Jalil, who is now deputy assistant director of Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD), talked to The Weekend Independent recently about the life-changing experience.
I have received training from home and abroad and taken part in many fire incidents and rescue operations. But I cannot forget the Rana plaza tragedy, which occurred on April 24, 2013. In my whole career, it is the most pathetic disaster that I have ever seen. I was working from the beginning of the incident, Jalil said.
The authorities told us to complete the rescue operation by 8pm of April 26. So I, along with our team leader Nurul Haque and other rescuers, namely Shamim Hasan Chowdhury, Abdul Khaleque and Yusuf, went inside the collapsed building. At that time, some garment workers came to us and informed us that there were many people trapped on the ground floor. So we started to create a hole (on the concrete). When we reached the ground floor, we heard the voices of some women. We managed to rescue 13 female workers, who didnt sustain any injuries. Later, we heard a faint voice, but it was not possible to trace it. After an hours operation, we rescued five more workers. They told us that they, too, had heard a womans voice several times, coming from somewhere close by. Later, we located her position. We came to know from her that she was Shahina from Barisal. We tried our best to get her out, working throughout the day, but we couldnt save her, the rescuer recalled.
Jalil and his fellow firefighters passed a difficult time after the rescue operation. He continued: At that time, our minds were affected. We felt like crying while talking to people. We had bad dreams when sleeping. We were suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), so FSCD sent us to different places for better treatment. I have been serving people with the blessing of Allah. I never want to leave this job, as I believe Service to man is service to God, the dedicated fireman added.
Photos: Courtesy
