Taramon grateful to PM for all-out assistance

Published : 24 Mar 2017, 13:56

Jagoroniya Desk

Taramon Bibi, Bir Pratik, feels her gratefulness to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for taking maximum steps to ensure welfare of the freedom fighters and specially assisting her in all possible ways.

"I still feel warmth of love and affection of Sheikh Hasina when she embraced me on several occasions," said Taramon, 62, a living legend of the Great War of Liberation, while giving an exclusive interview to BSS on volatile March.

Despite suffering from many chronic diseases, ailing Taramon says, "I felt everything in the world in my heart when Hasina embraced me as elder sister and Bangabandhu's daughter."

"Now, I am happy as the government has employed my son Abu Taher at Rajibpur Upazila Heath Complex and only son-in-law Rafikul Islam at Sherpur Public Works Division," she added.

Recalling her memories, Taramon said she was in Chilmari in 1971 and fled to Rajibpur as her father died long ago leaving her poor mother. She took part in the War of Liberation soon at the call of Bangabandhu after being inspired by Havildar Mohir at Rajibpur Muktijoddha Camp.

"I first started cooking for freedom fighters soon began spying to gather information and subsequently took part in the battles after getting arms training," Taramon said.

"After independence, I returned to my native Sankar Madhobpur village under Rajibpur upazila I got married to Abdul Mazid in 1974 gave birth to son Abu Taher and daughter Majeda Khatun," a happy Taramon was recalling her memories.

Taramon again started living at home amid abject poverty in 1972 and worked as a day-labourer for many years with her husband to feed their two children.

"I did not know that the then government of Bangabandhu awarded me with the gallantry title 'Bir Pratik' in recognition of my courage and heroism during the War of Liberation," Taramon said.

She expressed gratitude to researcher Bimal Kanti of Mymensingh for discovering her in 1995 when she got the 'Bir Pratik' award with Taka 25,000 on December 19 in 1995 from the government.

"PM Sheikh Hasina gave me Taka 15,000 when I first met her in 1996, the subsequent governments fixed Taka 2,000 in 2002 and Taka 3,000 in 2007 as monthly allowances for me," she said.

"After assuming power again in 2009-Prime Sheikh Hasina completely changed my life by raising my monthly allowance to Taka 15,000---- arranged free medical treatments for me at Combined Military Hospital," Taramon continued.

"Besides, I am getting 30 kilogram rice, 25 kilogram wheat, four kilogram sugar, eight kilogram lentil and eight kilogram edible oil at Taka 120 every month under the rationing programme from Kurigram police administration," she said.

"Sheikh Hasina built a house for me in Kurigram township and one acre of land was to handed over to me in 2009 so that I could easily avail physician in the district town for my treatment," she said.

"But, I cannot reside now at the house that requires urgent repairing and construction of a 650-metre road up to the nearby main road with culverts for my movement to Kurigram Sadar Hospital," said Taramon now living in Rajibpur.

Taramon expressed her last wish to pass sometime with the prime minister. "My health condition deteriorates rapidly now I do not know when Almighty takes me away," she said wishing her last medical treatments aboard to make her life a little longer.

Source: BSS

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