'Who will answer for this?'

On Wednesday afternoon, an unsuspecting Zubair Islam Siyam, set out for his teacher's house along with his friend Rakib.  

Both fifth-graders started from their homes in Shialbari, Mirpur, from where they used to walk to the coaching center at Rupnagar residential area.

Around 3:30 pm, they reached Jheel Basti, where Siyam stopped to buy a balloon from a street vendor.

As Rakib requested his friend to hurry up, Siyam replied that it would only take a few seconds.

A few seconds later, Siyam was blown away by an explosion. He had lost consciousness, but luckily, Rakib managed to save himself.

Rakib tried to take his friend to the nearest hospital, but could not hold on to Siyam's hand as people crowded around the spot. Still wearing his burnt clothes, a wounded Rakib rushed to Siyam's home and informed his family.

Then the family went to the scene and tried to take him to several hospitals in Mirpur, all of whom refused to admit the boy.

"Later we went to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital, where the hospital authorities referred us to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital's burn unit," said Tonni Akter, elder sister of Siyam.

At the time of writing this report, Siyam was undergoing treatment with 5 percent burns on his face and throat.

Recounting the incident, Siyam said that if only he had listened to his friend's warning, he would not have fallen in trouble.

"Where is Rakib? Did he manage to save himself?" a sedated Siyam asked his parents. He also kept looking for his school bag and books.

Dr Anhura Hossain of the Burn and Plastic Surgery unit said that the patient's situation was critical and they could not say anything until 48 hours had passed.

Another victim of the explosion, second-grader Mizan, was being treated as an anonymous patient at the Dhaka Medical College's emergency ward, until his parents realized he was missing.

As he was passing by Rupnagar, Md Rasel, 27, heard an explosion at around 3:40pm, and rushed to the spot. "I was shaken at the sight of the street filled with the blood of children," he described.

He rescued Mizan and took him to the nearest hospitals, none of whom took the patient in. Mizan suffered is now fighting for his life at the hospital.

The duty doctors completed a critical surgery on his lower abdomen.

Dr Md Alauddin, residential surgeon of DMCH, said that when he came in, Mizan's intestines were sticking out of his abdomen, and termed his condition "severe".

"We could not wait for his identity. We sent him to surgery immediately," the doctor added.

After watching a TV report, Md Rupom, Mizan's father came to DMCH.

Four hours after the incident, Rupom found his son but could not even touch him for a moment as he was in the operation theatre.  

"After we heard the blast, we rushed to every possible spot to find him. We did not think that my son would be in the operation theatre instead of his reading table.

"Who will be responsible for this, who will give me the answer," father of Mizan broke in tears in front of operation theatre.