<i>Painful days of families of Pabna martyrs</i>
"I have to depend on others for maintaining my family. Sometimes we get help from our relatives. Sometimes we remain uncared for," said Maleka Khatun, the widow of martyred freedom fighter Shahid Idris.
“My husband sacrificed his life in Liberation War. This is a matter of pride for me. But I am shocked when I see that people hardly remember him. I used to get some financial aid from the government. But it stopped after the Bangabandhu era in 1975,” she added.
Shahid Idris's brothers Riddik and Asad also sacrificed their lives as freedom fighters during the Liberation War.
When the country is going to observe 39th anniversary of its final victory over the Pakistan occupation forces, most of the families of the Liberation War martyrs are still struggling for existence amid poverty and negligence.
“My three brothers sacrificed their lives for the nation. This is a pride for our family. But we are unlucky that there is no assistance from the government level for our family,” Kuddus Pramanik, the eldest brother of the martyrs, told this correspondent.
The three brothers were martyred in the first week of December in 1971, Kuddus said, adding that Idris left two wives and six children while Riddik and Asad were unmarried when they joined the Liberation War.
Children of Idris grew up with the help from relatives and villagers, family members said.
The villagers established a primary school after the name of Riddik but the name later changed to Pravati School due to the lack of economic support, they said.
Riddik was martyred during a front fight with Pakistan army and their collaborators at Sadirajpur village in early December of 1971, said family members and freedom fighters.
Two days later, Idris and Asad borrowed martyrdom in another fight at Muladuli.
Idris, then working as a driver at the deputy commissioner's office, joined the Liberation War at the early stage after collecting arms from Pabna Police Lines along with other freedom fighters.
Later Riddik and Asad joined the war after getting training from Darjiling in India.
“The three freedom fighter brothers worked as our inspiration in the battlefield,” freedom fighter Babi Islam said.
"The freedom fighters are pride of the nation. So their families should be taken care of to keep their memory alive for inspiration to the generations," said Pabna district unit of Muktijoddha Sangsad commander Habibur Rahman Habib, who recently visited the members of martyred family.
"We will formally request the authorities to honour the martyred by naming the school after Riddik in the Victory Day celebration where honourable State Minister for Home Shamsul Haque Tuku is expected to be present," he added.
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