Remembering Baba

EACH year goes by and as the end of November rolls around, I think of Baba and his life. There is so much I want to say and so many questions I have that will forever remain unanswered. I spent this past summer working in Bangladesh and talking to any acquaintance, relative, or friend to glean new aspects of his life. After hearing everyone's stories of my Baba, I am truly humbled. Everyone from the custodian at Dhaka Medical College to a physician in Netrokona district hospital had a wonderful story or anecdote about him. However, the picture remains incomplete, and will always remain this way. This is perhaps the most difficult aspect of his death for me. Others will mourn him for the person he was, the service he provided, and for the friend they lost. Ma will grieve for her slain husband, the boy she knew since she was a young girl; dadi will lament for her eldest son, phuppi and chacha for their brother, and boro ma for her grandson, whom she helped raise and will never see again.

I will mourn for the memories I never had, for the father's day cards I never got to give him, for never being scolded by him, to never know the sound of his voice, or understand the depth in his eyes. The truth is, for me, and for the future generation of Bangladesh, Dr. Shamsul Alam Khan Milon is an enigma, a murder unresolved, and a political dream unfulfilled. Every year, I like to write something small to commemorate him, so that we, as a nation, may venerate his endeavours for social justice and democracy in Bangladesh. As a second-year student in medical school, I am constantly reminded of my father, his work as a physician, and the legacy he left behind. How can my generation live up to the efforts of our forefathers and realise their dreams?

In the midst of Bangladesh's constantly turbulent political climate, let's remember this: a man was murdered for threatening authoritarian rule; a man sacrificed his life and family to help his country; a man was brave enough to stand in the face of oppression and speak out for what was right. We also have to be courageous and work towards a better future for ourselves. No matter what your opinions on politics, Bangladesh, democracy, or even social justice, I urge you to take this day and reflect on what each one of us can sacrifice, big or small, to help the world and its people reach its full potential and be what Baba envisioned it would be one day, fair and free.

The writer is daughter of Late Dr. Shamsul Alam Khan Milon, Medical Student, and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, USA.

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