A subhuman camp life

Around 2000 people cram into a decrepit two-storied building at the Sardar Bahadur camp, the largest one in the port city. It is feared that the ramshackle building, constructed in 1952, may collapse any time as big cracks developed at many points. Besides, others are living in tiny thatched and dingy rooms nearby the building.

There are no electricity or gas facilities for them in the camp. They get water supply two days a week from only one line at Sardar Bahadur camp.

There are two toilets and a bathroom for 2000 people, including around 1000 women to have refresh and bath. The situation goes from bad to worse in other camps.

Earlier, railway authorities had disconnected water lines in 1987 and electricity lines in 2001 for non-payment of arrears defying the relief ministry order. Relief ministry was supposed to pay the bills.

Of them 25,000 are staying at Sardar Bahadur camp, 1,000 at Halishahar camp, 1,500 at Firozshah camp, 500 at Hamjarbagh camp, 1,500 at Foufabad, 350 at Shershah colony camp and 150 at Shulakbahar camp in the port city.

Sardar Bahadur camp is divided into 11 sectors surrounding by the Warless, Jhautala, Ambagan and Pahartali area.

They took shelter at different government buildings when Pakistani occupation forces surrendered to joint forces of India and Bangladesh on December 16 in 1971.

We want the Bangladesh government to rehabilitate us here on humanitarian ground as Pakistani government was not sympathetic to us, said MZ Azam, convenor of Stranded Pakistani Youth Rehabilitation Movement (SPYRM), zonal office Chittagong. We are sure that we can never go back home, Azam added.

The Pak government is indifferent to our repatriation as it feared a political crisis, he said .

The government also used to distribute- relief materials once in three months but it has been suspended since January 2004, informed a non-local Jahangir.

No government or non-government organisation came till date to mitigate their sufferings.

SPYRM was conducting four primary schools at Sardar Bahadur, Roufabad, Halishihar and Firojshah colony camp. Later, the schools were handed over to an Ireland based welfare organisation "Concern". But 'Concern' authorities closed the schools on January 1 this year leaving around 1200 kids out of education.

Literacy rate is not more than five per cent here and closure of the schools will aggravate the situation, Azam said.

"Now I work at a boutique house, said Imran, a ten-year-old boy and a student of class five at Concern School at Sardar Bahadur camp.

The stranded Pakistanis also face some social hazards here. It is alleged that the local Bangalees disturb them and very often try to occupy the land inside the camp.

Muhammad Saieed Uppal, counsellor of Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka, visited the Sardar Bahadur Camp on July 9 to see for himself the situation at the camps. He on an emergency basis sanctioned a deep tube-well at the camp to reduce the water crisis. But the camp authorities are yet to get permission from the railway (eastern zone) engineering office to install the tube-well.

Azam seeks government and NGOs support to mitigate their hardship.