Two siblings -- Arafat Hossain Rauf (9) and Isnat Jahan Raida (6.5) died of dengue within one week. What a tragedy for their parents Mohammad Ibrahim and Rabeya Akter. Arafat died on August 18 and Raida died on August 25. Now Ibrahim and Rabeya couple left nothing without lamenting.

Mohammad Ibrahim and Rabeya Akter live in the capital’s Paikpara. They have buried their beloved son and daughter in Hemayetpur of Savar. 

Ibrahim and Rabeya couple are now passing their days with mourns and grief. They have lost their words. They look at the photographs of their children on the phone and release water from two eyes. They lament touching the books and pens of their children all the time. Sometimes, they recalled the good memories of their lovely son and daughter. This tragedy won’t be described.

“I have lost two children within one week in dengue. I feel all memories of my children when I touch every belongings of my house. My son and daughter used to sit on two sides of mine at the dining table and eat up me. I used to sleep on a bolster. My son sleeps my one hand and daughter sleeps another hand,” lamenting Mohammad Ibrahim.   

We have no one left. We are the saddest persons now, he was saying with tears.

Ibrahim said on August 14, Arafat got the fever and he was taken to a doctor a day later. After the test, the doctor found Arafat as dengue positive on August 16. The doctor told Ibrahim that there was no need to admit Arafat to the hospital as his platelet count was enough. But a day later, the platelet of Arafat was falling and he passed away on August 18 before being admitted to hospital.   

Later his daughter Isnat Jahan Raida becomes dengue positive. She was admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at a hospital in Dhanmondi. After five days, she was released from the hospital as her condition was better. But Raida once again fell sick and she was admitted to the PICU of another hospital in Mohakhali. On August 25, Raida also passed away.   

Arafat and Raida always remain together. That’s why they left the world in close time, saying their helpless father Ibrahim.

Bd-pratidin English/Golam Rosul