Rana Plaza rescuers get exhaustion, despair and neglect in return

A devastating disaster occurred in Savar of Dhaka, that touched the entire world on April 24, 2013. The nine-story commercial building, 'Rana Plaza,' collapsed in the blink of an eye, resulting in the death of nearly 1,138 people, most of whom were garment factory workers. Thousands were injured in the incident. The world was shocked by one of the most horrific industrial disasters in history.

Due to the lack of prior experience and modern equipment, the government workers assigned to the rescue operations were completely overwhelmed. At that point, some courageous volunteers stepped forward, risking their own lives to join the rescue efforts. Day after day, they pulled out decomposing corpses from the rubble. Using all their strength, they rescued the injured. Witnessing the mutilated bodies, the suffering of the wounded, and the desperate pleas of those trapped, they sank into an abyss of despair. Those unbearable memories haunted them for years, isolating them from normal life. Many succumbed to hopelessness and chose the path of suicide, while those who survived drowned in sorrow. Yet, the state, society, and the nation forgot about them all too quickly. No steps were taken to acknowledge their bravery or provide them with mental peace. Among such rescuers were two Bangladesh Student Federation leaders, Himu and Masiur Rahman.

Himu gave up his life in despair

Himu, a young student, couldn't remain still when he heard the news of the Rana Plaza collapse. Risking his own life in the horrific conditions, he immediately joined the rescue efforts. The agonizing cries of people standing on the brink of death shook him to the core. The desperate attempts to save lives—cutting off limbs with blades to free the injured—left a deep scar on his mind, haunting him until the last day of his life.

He stood up for others, but in the end, this harrowing experience shattered his mental stability. He tried repeatedly to recover—took up a job to return to a normal life. But the young man, drowning in despair, couldn’t come back. No individual or organization, whether governmental or societal, stepped forward to help Himu. No one cared to know how this young man coped with the trauma of such a colossal tragedy. After years of battling his inner demons, he succumbed to the weight of his suffering and chose the path of suicide. Where he gave everything for humanity, his own mental well-being was utterly ignored!

Himu's close friend, Rifat Salam, a journalist by profession, was not directly involved in the rescue operation at that time. However, he remained in constant communication, standing by Himu as his companion and offering support throughout the ordeal.

Recalling those memories, he said, "I used to talk to Himu almost every day. As the death toll kept rising, his despair and trauma grew deeper. When he returned after the rescue operation, he became unusually quiet. Himu sank into a kind of hopelessness and depression. Eventually, he stopped going home altogether. He took up a job but couldn’t steady his mind. At one point, he became dependent on sleeping pills—but even that didn’t help. In the end, he chose the path of suicide."

"Here, the most urgent thing was to create a list of those who participated in the rescue efforts either through individual initiative or under various organizations, and address their mental health issues. This was not considered at any level — be it state, organizational, or personal. Physically injured rescuers received medical treatment, but no one really thought about those who were mentally broken."

That trauma still haunts Masiur

Masiur Rahman was working at a private organization at the time. As soon as he heard the news of the disaster, he abandoned his work and rushed to the site. He participated in the rescue efforts for a continuous 16 days. He personally retrieved multiple dead bodies and helplessly watched as living people, trapped before his eyes, were lost forever. This horrifying experience left a permanent scar on his mind.

In an interview with Views Bangladesh, he shared, "I personally retrieved multiple dead bodies. Many people screamed and died in front of me. Even now, I can hear their cries in my sleep."

"At that time, I supplied medicines and blades to the injured. They had to cut their own limbs just to survive. These are scenes you can never forget."

During the rescue operation, Mosiur fell ill. He was hospitalized for 26 consecutive days. Regarding this, he said, "I became ill after witnessing the horror. Even after returning home from the hospital, I remained in trauma for three months. However, during that time, my organization continued to provide me with salary and allowances."

"But the state never checked in on us. Those of us who risked our lives during the rescue operation could have at least been honored socially, or provided with counseling." He claims that no such initiative was taken by the state.

At that time, those who stepped forward to help with the rescue efforts or the treatment of the injured overwhelmingly feel that people who served humanity were completely neglected. No measures were taken to support their mental health. Like Himu and Mosiur, many other young people endured this horrific experience, yet there was no one to stand by them emotionally.

Public health expert Lelin Chowdhury said, "Those who stood by people during that time came back mentally shattered. Later, they began having nightmares, their sleep was disrupted. They started avoiding people. An unconscious fear kept growing within them. As a result, their normal way of life was disrupted, and their personalities deteriorated. Their sense of social responsibility diminished, and they became conflicted. This often led to sudden outbursts of anger and even tendencies toward suicide."

He believes, "The state should have arranged group counseling or individual counseling for the volunteers at that time. Because this counseling did not take place, most of the volunteers who are still alive today remain affected by trauma."