Four disabled siblings in Manikganj's Bhatbaur live in hardship — with no road even to reach their home

Four disabled siblings are living a life of hardship in Bhatbaur village of Dighi Union, in Manikganj Sadar Upazila. Four of the family's eight siblings are of short stature. The two disabled brothers can walk a little, but the two sisters cannot even stand.

They are the children of the late Hazrat Ali and Johura Begum. Of the couple's eight children, five are daughters and three are sons. The four siblings of short stature are Mosammat Habia (64), Meherjan (58), Izzat Ali (52) and Siraj Ali (48). The four other siblings are Chhabia Begum (61), Afela Begum (55), Liton Mia (46) and Dapali Begum (42).

According to the family, their father Hazrat Ali was an employee of BIWTC and died about 10 years ago. Among the disabled siblings, Izzat Ali is married; the other three are not. They live in the same house. Johura Begum's household now comprises the four disabled children and one son — five people in all — along with two daughters-in-law and two grandchildren.

The family says they were not disabled from birth. Johura Begum said her first child Habia fell ill with fever at the age of seven. A few days after recovering, Habia seemed abnormal while walking, and treatment from a traditional healer did not cure her. The other three children also developed walking problems after sudden illness at the age of seven or eight. Since then, two of the four have been unable to walk at all.

Johura Begum has had to endure villagers' mocking remarks over her children's condition. She said people have made fun of them whenever they step outside — and still do.

Meherjan, one of the disabled sisters, said no one asks about their life of hardship, that being disabled makes her feel like a burden on the family, and that there is not even a road by which someone could take her out in a wheelchair.

The family's home, beside the paved road at Bhatbaur Bazar, can only be reached by crossing over several other houses. On Saturday, their mother and brother Liton Mia were seen carrying Habia and Meherjan out of the house in their arms. The two sisters also need others' help to eat and to answer nature's call.

Despite their short stature, Izzat and Siraj can walk fairly normally. The two brothers run a betel-leaf and cigarette shop under the open sky beside the road at Bhatbaur Bazar, but it earns very little. For about two years, the four siblings have been receiving the government's disability allowance. The household gets by, barely, on that allowance and income from crops on their land.

Izzat Ali's two sons, Yasir Arafat (22) and Alif Ahmed (20), have passed their higher secondary exams and are healthy. Izzat Ali said his elder son Arafat recently took a job at a private organisation because of the family's poverty, and that a government job for his son would ease some of the family's hardship.

Family members said the absence of a road to the house also makes it difficult to take the two disabled sisters to hospital. Two years ago, neighbours helped put some earth on the path, but no more could be added for lack of money. If the road were built under a government project, the two sisters could at least be moved in wheelchairs.

Local resident and social worker Amjad Hossain said it is not only this family: at least 10 more families nearby have no road for movement and must cross over other people's houses.

Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mousumi Nasrin said she would look into the family's situation and that initiatives would also be taken to build a road for the disabled family and their neighbours.

On Saturday, a sewing machine and essential food items were presented to the family by Prothom Alo Bondhushava. Members of Bondhushava went to the house and handed over the gifts as part of the 'Ekti Bhalo Kaj' programme marking Prothom Alo's 28th founding anniversary.