Photo: BSS

CHATTOGRAM, April 2, 2025 (BSS):- Taslima Begum , wife of martyr Jamal Uddin  -a  poor CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver has been facing a bleak future since martyrdom of her husband on August 5, 2024 , the nation’s one of the historic day emblem with the toppling of Hasina led fascist Awami government in the face of student-mass Uprising.

With a juvenile son and mentally disturbed young girl, the martyrs Jamal’s wife is now under clutches of indescribable financial hardship in absence of the family’s only bread earner.

Jamal Uddin, 54, embraced martyrdom when police started reckless firing targeting the cheerful hundreds of people who gathered at Hathazari  upazila sadar bus station of the district to celebrate the victory of breath-staking July –August bloodstained struggle against previous autocratic government .

Taslima’s endless struggle for survival with her two siblings began after sudden losing of her husband Jamal who was the only bread earner of the 4-members family.

A fall of gloom descended over the sky of poor family and a bleak future engulfed the life of Taslima , 48, and their daughter Tania Akhter Rumi , 19, and Al Amin , 17, as the family has no income source and affluent relatives to support them.

Jamal like many others was witnessing the joyful moments of hundreds of people of all strata who were thronged at Hathazari bus station after fall of Hasina government in the afternoon of August 5 last year.

Jamal alias Mollah, the younger son of the deceased Saleh Ahmed of Oxygen Kulgaon area of Jalalabad ward no. 2 of Chattogram City Corporation , had been living in Hathazari Fire Brigade area of Hathazari upazila sadar for more than 10 years.

Witnesses of that day’s tragic incident said Jamal fell on the ground when police began throwing tear gas and shooting on victory procession at one stage of celebrating the victory of jubilant people to disperse the crowd from the area.

“After receiving bullets at about 5 p.m on August 5 , my husband made screaming for water and was trying to stand up but fell again on the ground as another bullet pierced her chest” Taslima said quoting witnesses.

“They are merciless, brutal and inhuman. How they shot on such a man further who wants water and was trying to stand up from ground for live” Taslima said with agitated voices and adding that “ Police were firing indiscriminately on peaceful people from rooftop of the thana complex.

Local people took Jamal to the Hathazari Upazila Health Complex first and then was shifted to Chattogram Medical College Hospital with critical condition where he breathed his last at around 9 p.m on August 5.

“ Our only daughter Tania is mentally disturbed girl. I along with my husband and daughter was returning home from Abbaspool area of Hathazari after seeing a candidate bride for our daughter. Jamal asked us to go home and he got out at upazila sadar saying that he would come after sometime.  As soon as I reached my residence, I got the news of my husband’s injury with gathering of many people around my home “.  Taslima recalled.

“ I saw his body soaked with blood and flow of blood was still continuing. As his condition was deteriorating fast, I took him to CMCH with the help of local people but Jamal left us at 9 p.m there burying our all hope for a happy future by bringing up our two siblings”  Taslima told BSS with emotion-choked voice .

“ Though my husband’s income was limited but we were able to live with much happiness. Even , he never kept unfulfilled the demands of their children” she recalled saying that “ finding no way for living , I used to work as maid servant of neighbours home for survival .

My son Al Amin started job at local petrol pump at monthly salary of Tk. 7000.

With the hope of providing support by some people of our locality, I started living at a rented house at a place near Hathazari sadar at monthly rent of Tk. 3000 but they stopped paying it now increasing my burden further .

“ I left my father-in-laws home in Oxygen area in absence of my husband due to lack of safety and security” Taslima said .

She said treatment of her mentally ill daughter has been stopped due to want of money as she could not manage daily family needs with poor earnings by her son and herself as a house maid.

Taslima received Tk. 5,00,000.00 from the government as one time grant for martyr family recently which she considered a great help for her to start treatment of her daughter besides urgent family expenses.

“But I yet to receive financial assistance from Islamic Foundation authority they promised to provide martyr family” Taslima said alleging “ some middlemen ( broker) bluffed us so that we could not get the money”  .

She said she heard that BNP acting Chairman Tarique Rahman is stands besides many martyr family and helping injured persons of July uprising .

“ I have not get any such assistance from him except a small quantity of commodity help in Ramadan by BNP leader Barrister Helal. Besides , Deputy Commissioner Farida Khanom visited to us before Eid-ul-Fitr day and gifted us new cloths for me and my children” Taslima said.

Taslima appealed the government to give some more money for bearing her daughter’s improved treatment and wedding expenses along with a suitable job for her son Al Amin.

“My father loved me very much. He always tried to fulfill my demands and never took dinner without me “ said Tania Akhtar Rumi , the only daughter of Martyr Jamal remembering her father’s depth of affection to her .

Taslima and Rumi unequivocally demanded trail and exemplary punishment of the killers of Jamal.

“ We lost our all hope and dream after losing Jamal. But trail and punishment of killers is now our only expectation” Taslima said with rising a question “ Are we able to see a peaceful , safe and injustice-free country where innocent people like my husband faces wrath of revenge by killers without committing any wrongdoing?”