Won in the war, lost in the battle for living
Eighty-year-old valiant freedom fighter Dilip Kumar Dey has been earning a living by performing popular Bangla songs like Eto sur ar eto gaan jodi konodin theme jai in markets, schools, colleges and bus stands for the last few decades.
Dilip, a resident of Uttar Baghutia village in Bangra union ofTangail's Kalihati upazila, receives allowance as a freedom fighter and lives in Bir Nibas provided by the government.
But there is nothing left after paying the installment of loan taken to meet the various needs of the family. By singing the songs, the elderly freedom fighter earns money to meet the basic needs.
"I was born in Mymensingh. I was the eldest among six children of my poor father. I couldn't receive formal education due to extreme poverty. I love to listen to songs and sing them from young age. I used to sing in the theatre and play the flute," said Dilip.
During the Liberation War in 1971, the Pakistanis started torturing the people of the country. Many innocent people have been killed, houses were set on fire, women abducted away and tortured. Fearing the situation, many people were fleeing from their houses.
Hearing this, Dilip became very sad and got angry and left home on April 17 to take part in the Liberation War. He went to Meghalaya in India to receive training.
Dilip was in Sector 11. He fought in Baksiganj of Jamalpur and Kamalpur border. His sector commander was Colonel Abu Taher. The sub-sector commander was Major Afshar and his company commander was Col Abu Taher's younger brother Waresul Hasan Bellal.
"At that time, no fear worked in our minds. Our determination was to destroy the occupational forces by any means", he added.
Shortly after the country became independent, Dilip came to Tangail's Kalihati with some fellow freedom fighters and started living there.
He then got married in Baghutia village and since then, he has been living here permanently.
"But the poverty never left him. I had to run the family by singing. I along with my wife and children used to live without food," said Dilip.
Despite of living in great difficulty, Dilip later got his sister and two daughters married off. However, he could not educate his two sons due to poverty. The duo got married.
Of them, one works in a barber shop and another son drives locally-made motorised three-wheeler.
Dilip gets the allowance as freedom fighter from the beginning. It started from Tk 300 and now the amount is Tk 12,000. Of the allowance money, he left a major amount to repay the loan he took to meet the needs of the family. The government has also given him a house.
Dilip expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for these.
"My sons have been taking care of me since my wife died several months ago, but their income is not enough to run the family," said Dilip, adding that due to this, he still sings songs in the markets, bus stands and many other places to earn some money.
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