I don't want to stay here anymore, take me away: Ayan cries from ICU

Inside the ICU of the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka, a young boy lies in critical condition, his body scorched and his voice trembling.

"I won't stay here anymore, take me away," 7th-grade student Ayan told his family today (22 July), his voice weak from pain and the strain of breathing through artificial support.

Ayan, the only child of his parents, suffered burns to 45% of his body after a fighter jet crashed into a building of Uttara Milestone School and College yesterday (21 July).

His airway has been severely damaged, and he is currently on artificial ventilation in the ICU.

His cousin, Rahib, told The Business Standard around 2pm on Tuesday, "Ayan has 45% burns, especially in his airway. We brought him to the ICU around 10pm last night. He is in very bad shape."

Describing the moment the family first heard the news, Rahib said, "His mother is a banker. She was in the canteen having lunch when she received a call that her son had been sent to the hospital. She phoned us at home in a state of shock."

"This morning, I went to Ayan, and he asked where 'Ammu' (Mom) was. And he repeatedly wanted to drink orange juice, but the doctors would not let him," he added.

Rahib's voice got heavy then, and he mentioned Ayan's screams, saying, "Ayan repeatedly told me, 'I won't stay here anymore, take me away.'"

In the same ICU lies another 7th-grade student, Zarif Farhan, with 80% burns.

His father told TBS, "I cannot bear to see my son's burnt body. He was admitted to Dhaka Medical yesterday and later shifted to the ICU at night. He is now struggling to breathe. Normally he returns home by 2pm after school, but we received the news just after the accident. We were stunned."

Mahtab, also a 7th-grade student, is being treated in ICU with 85% burns. His mother, Nazrin Akter Lipi, has been unable to leave the ICU area and is frequently losing consciousness.

"We first saw the news on Facebook. We searched at CMH but could not find him. Later we heard he was at the burn institute," she said.

"I cannot look at my child's burnt face. If the school had not arranged coaching yesterday, my son would be safe. I cannot bear to hear his cries."

Reportedly, the 7th-grade students were attending coaching classes after school hours.

Although regular classes ended at 1pm, many students had stayed back for coaching sessions.

Outside the ICU, more than fifty anxious family members of the injured continue to wait. Every time a doctor emerges from the unit, they rush forward, desperate for an update on their loved ones.