It's difficult to notice that twomonth old Ahnaf Imtiaz, lying in a bed at the Bum and Plastic Surgery unit of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, is breathing.
Only his face remains uncovered, the rest of his tiny, burnt body is swathed in bandages.
He is injured so severely that doctors doubt if he will survive the ordeal.
Ahnaf is supposed to have his entire life ahead of him. Yet he is forced to fight for his life at this tender age because of the callousness in implementation of the Acid Control Act in the country and its monitoring.
Four days ago, a truck carrying acid rammed into a passen- ger bus coming from the opposite direction, resulting in eleven people dying from severe burns from the acid spillage.
Thirty people were seriously hurt in the accident.
Ahnaf s parents were on that bus. I Ils father was taking Ahnaf and his mother to Chittagong to join him there, shortly ahead of his first wedding anniversary.
Instead of reaching their destination, they landed up at DMCH with multiple burns, along with six others injured the same day.
The carrier truck in question had a licence to carry acid but other cautions required while carrying such a toxic chemical was evidently absent as the accident has shown.
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Doctors at DMCH say Ahnaf has received 20 percent burn injuries including to his eyes and head. They see little hope of his survival.
Ahnafs mother received 30 percent burn injuries and her legs broke when she jumped out through the window of the bus to save herself and her baby.
Project Director of the burn unit Dr Samantalal Sen said, “Just because the law is not being implemented, eleven people are dead today. This little boy, whose life is yet to begin, is also struggling for his life."
Every year a significant number of people including children and women become the victims of acid burns. Though two laws have been enacted in 2002 to control the sale and distribution of acid to curb acid crime, acid violence and related incidents continue, he added.
Executive Director of Acid Survivors Foundation (ASF) Monira Rahman said, "The law talks about handling acid through utmost security. But it does not specify the cautionary measures needed while transporting the toxic chemical."
'At the same time, the government has little or no monitoring mechanism for this though there is a district committee at every district under the National Acid Control Council," she said.
“The district acid control committees are not active and even the deputy commissioners often don't know how many people in his district are involved in the use, sale and transport of acid." Monira said.
> Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Mohammad Zillar Rahman said, "Though people
seem to be careful about their work when they apply for a licence and commit to maintain utmost security, they don't do the •same once they get their licence.”
"And since we don't have a strong monitoring system, we don't know who are violating the law, ” he confessed.
Experts say that cautionary messages should be clearly written on the vehicles carrying acid and at the same time these vehicles should have special traffic clearance to transport acid.
They also stressed that such corrosive chemicals are always carried in covered vans and, if needed, the vehicles carrying such items halted during busy hours or heavy traffic.
Eight other people burnt on that day in Comilla in the accident are being treated at the burn unit of DMCH.
Among them, Faysal, 26, a student of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), is now not certain if he will recover in time to appear for his final examinations starting on November 24.
On the fateful day, Faysal was travelling to Chittagong from Dhaka to be able to accompany his younger sister who is sitting for her medical college admission test.
A visibly worried and upset Faysal said that he had only informed his father that he was not well and had not told him about the acid burn.
"My father won't be able to tolerate it if he gets to know,” Faysal said as he burst into tears.
Meanwhile the three-member investigation committee formed last Thursday under Additional District Magistrate. Comilla.
Nazmul Haque has begun its investigation.
The committee is supposed to submit its report to the deputy commissioner within a week.
A case was also filed under five sections of Penal Code, though not under the Acid Control Act, as it was an accident.
The drivers of the bus and truck are the accused in the cases filed but it is not known whether they were hurt or killed in the accident on the day, Monjurur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner ofComillasaid.