Volume 2 Issue 16 | August 04, 2007 |



  
Inside

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   She
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   Journey through    Bangladesh
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Behind the Scene

From Jhenaidah
Freedom Fighter
Parimol now a Hawker

At dawn, freedom fighter Parimol Chakkrabarty heads out with the newspapers. In his old age, he supports his family by distributing newspapers door to door. His only son Pranad Chakkrabarty will start his secondary schooling next January. Parimol says he doesn't know how he will deal with the expenses. Without support, his son won't get an education. Parimol has asked for help from the government to no avail.

Parimal Chakkrabarty, 60, son of late Profulla Chakkrabarty is a native of Fulhari, Shailo Kupa, Jhenidah. His father worked as a cook and had always struggled financially. Parimol had to help out with his father's work, and as a result, he was unable to continue his education. After some time, he started work as a bus helper. He got into an accident and was badly injured. His father had died and it was up to Parimol to look after the family.

Parimol reminisced about the Liberation War; about how Golam Mustafa had called him up to join the fight. He signed up as a freedom fighter and went to India for training. After one month and ten days he came back to Bangladesh and took the responsibility of a courier. He transported information, weapons and ammunition wherever the need arose. Once, he was detained by the Pakistani Army. They had suspected that Parimol was a spy and working for the Liberation movement. In the interrogation, he pretended to be a Muslim. Parimol was, of course, a Hindu, but he was detained for three days in which time he offered the namaz, convincing everyone that he was a Muslim.

When Parimol Chakkrabarty came back home after the Liberation War and found all his belongings looted, he had nothing to do but start working for BRTC. He was not paid properly, so he quit that job. He married Champa Rani Chakkrabarty of Karoti Para, Jhenidah. Nowadays, he lives with his wife under the Jhinuk habitation project, Jhenidah. Because of his old age, it is now very hard for him to continue working as a hawker. He impossibly keeps wishing the government would assist him, but every day he is forced to start handing out newspapers at the crack of dawn.

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