Dhaka: A Bangladeshi activist who rescued dozens of people when the Rana Plaza factory complex collapsed in 2013 has committed suicide after suffering years of trauma-related depression, police said.
Police said Nowshad Hasan Himu, 27, killed himself near the industrial town of Savar on Wednesday on the sixth anniversary of the disaster, which killed 1,138 people in one of the world’s worst industrial tragedies.
“He poured kerosene onto his body and set himself in fire. He was rushed to a Dhaka hospital where he died,” said police inspector Asgar Ali yesterday.
He said they suspect Himu was suffering from a bout of depression, and friends confirmed that he had been traumatised by the disaster.
Tributes poured in for Himu, who was involved in left-wing politics, with friends saying he had struggled to process the deadly building collapse.
“He was at the Rana Plaza rescue work for 17 consecutive days. He helped rescue dozens of bodies and survivors,” said Taslima Akhter, a garment union leader and an award winning photographer. — AFP
