Behind the Scene

From Jhenidah
Abdur Razzak: Once a Warrior

Azibor Rahman

Freedom fighter Abdur Razzak burst into tears recalling a scene about torture by the Pak Army. These memories are all still fresh to him. Abdur Razzak of Kashipur Village under Kaligonj upazila, Jhenidah is now 62 years old.

Freedom fighter Abdur Razzak is now a rickshaw-puller. Poverty has forced him to take up this job. He has married off his three daughters. His two sons are taking care of their own nuclear families. He says that former water resource minister Mr. Hafiz Uddin was his commander during the war of Liberation. They met each other several times after the war. The former commander expressed an interest in one day getting a job for Razzak.

Abdur Razzak said his elder brother's name is Wazed Ali. Their father Foyez Uddin passed away. Their father looked after their family working as a carpenter. They could not continue their studies due to poverty. After his father's death, Abdur Razzak married Rizia Khatun of Kagmari village under Jhikor Gacha upazila, Jhenidah. There he worked as a labourer. One day he came to learn that Ansar training is being provided at Shangkorpur, Jessore. He obtained training from there in the hope of getting a job in the Ansar but in vain. Later, he came to learn that people will be appointed in the army at the Jessore circuit house grounds. He stood in the queue. The Army Captain Hafiz Uddin admitted him in the Army though he was not qualified.

Abdur Razzak added that after some days of his joining the army, the war started in the country. Taking the opportunity, he along with others took shelter at Jessore Chasra and Palbari Square carrying their arms and ammunitions. He started a life of battle there. After 4-5 days of fighting they came back and went to Bonga in India led by Captain Hafiz. Collecting their arms and ammunitions, they again returned to Bangladesh through the Benapole border and started fighting against the Pak Army. At one point they camped out by the side of the Isamoti River.

He said that he, along with his commander Hafiz Uddin, got injured while fighting at Kalampur, Mymensingh district. They underwent treatment for 15 days at Gohati hospital in India. He came back and found that his name had been included in the list of those who died. And yet, so many years later, he is still alive. He expressed a lot of sorrow about things that happened after this country was made free.

Nevertheless, he said, we have to survive. Now he is burdened with age. He does not really have the strength to pull his rickshaw. He really wishes that the government would give him some assistance so he could open up a small business.

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