'Who's going to love us?'
After philanthropist freedom fighter Abdus Salam Khan was found dead on November 15, the future of around 100 students and six teachers of his charity kindergarten looks bleak.
The day before his death, the 65-year-old was allegedly beaten up by Shah Alam, president of Ward-6 of Awami Jubo League in Saturia union, and then again by Mostafizur Rahman, a member of the Union Parishad.
Now that he is gone, "who's going to love us? Who's going to give us chocolates?" said first-grader Tahmina's with a voice choking with emotion and tears in her eyes. She was staring at her school through the closed gate.
"We came here this morning, but no one opened the school gate. Our head teacher will open the gate and give us chocolates," said another student of Abdur Rahman Kindergarten School.
One of the school's teachers, Tania Aktar, explained, “Sir rewarded the best performer in a class with chocolates he always kept in his pocket.”
Retired primary school teacher Salam founded the kindergarten at Uttar Shialkathi village in Pirojpur's Bhandaria in 2014 and named it after his late father.
The philanthropist had established several other educational institutions and donated money to many others during his lifetime. Uttar Shialkathi Primary School, Nurjahan Habib Girls' High School at Bhitabaria and Madinatul Madrasa at Shialkathi are to name a few.
"Salam was not only a freedom fighter, but also a soldier whose lifelong fight was against illiteracy, child marriage and all sorts of social injustice," said fellow freedom fighter Abdur Rahman Khan, social welfare secretary of the upazila Muktijoddha Sangsad.
His last endeavour was the kindergarten where students had lessons, got books, uniforms, toys, and had meals all for free.
Salam was in the process of constructing more classrooms for the school as the hexagon-shaped and bright-coloured classrooms he designed were popular among students and their parents. The classrooms had windows on all walls.
There were many occasions when Salam sold land he inherited to keep supporting a good cause, said locals, adding that he installed a few roadside cement benches in Uttar Shialkathi village to allow people to rest.
Roshni Aktar, who had Salam as a teacher in a primary school, said, “About 25 years ago, when I was a student at his primary school, Sir gave me a set of school uniform and some books."
With its lone provider and guardian gone, Abdur Rahman Kindergarten School is now on the verge of closure.
Teachers and students of the school as well as Salam's family and residents of Uttar Shialkathi village urged the government and well-wishers to keep a freedom fighters' dream alive by coming forward and help keep the school going.