Dr. Zubaida Rahman, vice-president of the Ziaur Rahman Foundation, has called for standing by affected people beyond party lines in any disaster. Standing by people in disaster is the highest expression of humanity, she said, and strengthens the bonds of compassion and solidarity in society.
She spoke as chief guest on Tuesday at a tribute and memorial meeting for the “July 21 Milestone tragedy” at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in the capital.
In any national disaster, people must be thought of first, Zubaida Rahman said. Standing by those affected is a moral duty, and humanitarian help sets a unique example of love and empathy in society.
She prayed for those killed when a Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed at Milestone School and College in Uttara, and wished the injured a quick recovery. Offering condolences to the bereaved families, she said the courage they had shown in turning grief into strength was an inspiration to all.
Speaking as special guest, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Sakhawat Hossain Bakul called the July 21, 2025 accident at Milestone School one of the most tragic events in the country’s history. He paid tribute to teacher Maherin Chowdhury, who died while trying to rescue children from the fire.
The minister said the cooperation of doctors from Singapore, India, China and other countries after the accident was a bright example of humanitarian solidarity, and that the country’s own doctors had also worked devotedly. A delegation from Singapore General Hospital had recently praised the skin bank and quality of care at the National Burn Institute, he said.
On the demands for rehabilitation and treatment of the families of the dead and injured, the minister said Dr. Zubaida Rahman would convey their message to the prime minister, and that he would also raise the matter in a meeting with the prime minister.
In his address as chair, National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery Director Dr. Mohammad Nasir Uddin said treating burn patients is very costly and hard for a developing country to bear alone, so raising awareness of burn prevention needed emphasis. Developed countries had significantly reduced burn cases through awareness, he said.
He called for July 21 to be officially declared “Burn Awareness Day.” Work was under way on a central database of all burn patients and a fully automated hospital system, he said, adding that, with the necessary budget, the National Burn Institute could become the country’s first fully automated hospital within three months.
Others present included State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr. M A Muhith, China’s Ambassador to Dhaka Yao Wen, Professor Dr. Farhad Halim Donar, the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, and DAB president Dr. Harunur Rashid, among others. Family members of those killed and injured in the Milestone tragedy attended, and several organizations and individuals who contributed to the rescue and relief efforts were honored.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report