<i>Woes of an FF in Lalmonirhat</i>
Sultan Mia, a valiant freedom fighter, now pulls rickshaw to earn a living in Lalmonirhat.Photo: STAR
Sultan Mia, who joined war to free his motherland from Pakistan occupation army in 1971, is now struggling to manage a morsel of food for his family. The 58-year-old freedom fighter has been pulling rickshaw in the district town for the last 14 years although his left leg was severely injured during the country's liberation war. He opted for pulling rickshaw since he failed to run a small grocery shop due to lack of capital at Kochabari village in Lalmonirhat municipality. Sultan, son of late Dur Muhammad of the village, along with his wife Jahanara Begum and daughter Rina Khatun resides at a rented house at Shaheed Shahjahan Colony in the town. He had four decimals of homestead land. But he had to sell it to bear the expenses of marriage of his elder daughter Shefali Begum. Regarding Rina, working as domestic help at a neighbouring house, Sultan said, “I want to solemnise her marriage. But I am helpless as I have not enough savings for the purpose”. Sultan earns Tk 70 to 80 per day by pulling rickshaw which is too meagre to meet his family needs. “Sometimes we remain half-fed as I cannot pull rickshaw due to pain in my injured leg”, Sultan said. Sultan joined Liberation War in 1971 when he was 18. He was trained in Siliguri of India and started fighting under Sector No-6. Regarding the veteran FF, his wartime colleague Moza Mia said he was a valiant fighter. Jahanara lamented they had been passing their days in a miserable condition as her husband was not physically fit for such hard work. “Now our only dream is to arrange marriage of our younger daughter. But only Allah knows when will it come true”, she added. Sultan said “I would rather die than begging from people for the wedding”. Contacted, Yusuf Ali, commander of Lalmonirhat District MuktiJodhdha Sangsad, said there are a number of freedom fighters like Sultan in the district who lived hand to mouth. “It is all because the freedom fighters did not stand up for the cause of co-fighters”, he added. He urged the authorities and kind-hearted people in the society to extend their helping hands to poor freedom fighters like Sultan Mia.
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