A resident of West Bakolia in Chattogram city named Ahmed Arman (55) has died of coronavirus last Monday. On the same day, the entire family including his wife and son were locked down at their house in Rahatta Pool Chanda Pukurpar area of West Bakolia Ward No 17.
It has been alleged that neither the local administration, public representatives nor the health department had taken notice of the family in the last five days.
Meanwhile, six members of the family, including the 14-month-old man, have started showing symptoms of coronavirus along with fever and cold. The family contacted authorities at various levels but could not arrange for their samples to be tested. In addition, some locals have locked the door of the family home. As a result, the family with the child is trapped at home.
Abid, son of the late Ahmed Arman, alleged that their house was locked under the leadership of local councilor AKM Ariful Islam Duke, but no one contacted them during the last five days. They are surviving with the help of their landlord and relatives.
Abid said, “I admitted my father to Chittagong Medical College Hospital on the afternoon of May 4 because he suddenly felt sick. The next day, around 4 am on Monday he passed away. At around 5.30 am, the team of BITID (Bangladesh Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases) collected samples.”
“That afternoon we buried my father at our ancestral home in Patiya village and returned to our Rahatta Pool house. At around 9 pm, the Civil Surgeon's Office informed us that my father was suffering from coronavirus. That night the councilor and the police administration locked down our house, the councilor came and locked the gate.”
Mohammad Nezam Uddin, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Bakolia Police Station, was contacted around 7pm on Saturday and said, “The family has not contacted us. A team has been sent to test their samples this afternoon. When asked what time the team was sent to test their samples, the OC said, “At 3 in the afternoon.”
However, family complained, “This is a complete lie. None of them came to take the samples for testing. We did not go either.”
Asked about this, Chattogram Divisional Director (Health) Hasan Shahriar Kabir said, “It is not supposed to happen. It is the responsibility of the local administration to take care of the families in lockdown. You can report the matter to the Civil Surgeon now, I am looking into it.”
Sheikh Fazle Rabbi, a civil surgeon in Chattogram said, “I came to know about the matter. They were supposed to fix an ambulance today to test their samples, but it was not done. The whole family will be sent to BITID for examination tomorrow morning. The local representatives and the police administration should see if they have food shortage. I don't know why they didn't check up on them.”
