For Shaheen, his Chander Gari was more than just a vehicle. It was the only means of earning a living and supporting his wife and children. Every day, he drove the vehicle to bring home whatever he could to keep his family going.
But that lifeline is now gone.
The vehicle was reduced to ashes after miscreants allegedly set it on fire in Khagrachhari town early Tuesday. With no other source of income, Shaheen and his family are now facing an uncertain future.
The tragedy comes at a time when his earnings had already fallen due to the ongoing blockade in Sajek. The loss of his only income-generating asset has pushed the family into an even more difficult situation.
According to local sources, Shaheen had parked the vehicle at its designated parking spot on Pankhaiya Para Road, opposite KST Hospital in Khagrachhari town, after cleaning it as usual.
Around 4am on Tuesday, miscreants allegedly set the vehicle on fire. After receiving the news, Shaheen rushed to the spot from his home. But by the time he arrived, the vehicle had been completely gutted, leaving none of its parts usable.
“I have no other source of income,” Shaheen said, describing the uncertainty he now faces after losing the vehicle that supported his family. He also said his earnings had already declined because of the tourism blockade in Sajek.
The estimated damage is more than Tk5 lakh, a devastating loss for a family whose livelihood depended entirely on the vehicle.
For Shaheen’s family, the fire has meant much more than the loss of a vehicle. It has taken away their only means of earning an income and left them struggling to figure out how to make ends meet.
Against this backdrop, local residents have appealed to the district administration and Khagrachhari Hill District Council to extend financial assistance and provide compensation to help the family recover from the loss.
They have also demanded that those responsible for setting the vehicle on fire be identified and arrested without delay and brought to justice.
As Shaheen and his family struggle to cope with the loss, their immediate hope rests on support from the authorities and the community to rebuild the livelihood that was destroyed overnight.
