'The flames of politics shattered my only hope for survival in this cruel world," lamented Salahuddin, a victim of the recent political unrest in the Stadium area.

On Saturday political activists burnt his little shop on the footpath near National Stadium along with his fight against poverty.

Salahuddin had grown up on the streets in the Gulistan area and had witnessed many violent political movements, but never for a moment thought it could ruin him some day, he told Star City on Sunday.

He said he toiled hard to arrange his daily meals, as he had nothing except his physical worth. He worked as a labourer in a shop, and yet with a dream of getting out of his destitute life, he had borrowed Tk 15,000 from a leaseholder on an interest rate of 240 percent, just five month ago.

After his shop was gutted, the moneylender keeps on pressurising Salahuddin to return the money. Salahuddin's efforts to sustain himself and repay the loan have been shattered.

"I don't know how I could make up the loss, but I know for certain that I have to work doubly hard," he said.

He married on September 30, and started living with his in-laws and as the only earning member he has to bear the expenses of eight members of the family.

The street shop brought him the few takas to maintain his family, the only one he ever experienced, as he had been sleeping along the footpaths all his life.

"This is where I experienced touch of family life and respect as housemaster," he said. "But I wonder how I will be able to pay the house rent," he added.

Salauddin sold different type plastic goods including toys. On Saturday, he did not open the shop because of the political unrest and stayed back home in the slum in Demra.

A phone call from the neighbouring shopkeeper Anisur told him that political activists had burnt his shop -- the last means of getting out of a life of a destitute. He rushed to the spot, but it was too late -- most of his goods lay burnt to ashes or as melted plastic.

Police on the duty there could douse the fire and save the other shops but not his goods, Salahuddin said adding: "I don't know the necessity of political parties, but know they are a disaster to the masses."

On October 28 political activists across the city displayed their ferocity, which cost at least four lives, disabled hundreds, while an uncountable number of shops were burnt and looted.

"Political leaders will capitalise on the clash, they will enjoy power, they will be elected as prime minister or members of parliament, but why they burnt my shop, I do not understand," Salahuddin said. "I am just a simple man, who just lost all I had. I am neither involved in politics, nor have I committed any crime. Unfortunately I had to pay heavily and no one seems to care," he said.

Salahuddin is lost, not knowing what to do and how to repay the loan. One thing he realised was that the flame of politics burnt down all he owned.

His plea to the political parties: "Please do something towards peace and stop showing how ferocious you are to innocent people."