Dr Matiur Rahman

Celebrating anyone's birthday is usually festive, and children's birthday celebrations are more joyful. Generally, a person is wished for a healthy, wealthy, long and successful working life on birthdays and hopes for success in his family and social life.

Historically, it is not uncommon for clan heads, empire heads or heads of state to be killed. But in modern civilized society and state system, no head of state or Government is known to have been killed along with his family members. It is not known that the child of the great leader of the liberation struggle of any nation and the great architect of independence has been brutally killed without any offence. But such a harrowing incident happened on the soil of Bengal on August 15, 1975. A group of ruthless traitors tore little Russel's chest apart with bullets.

Since August 15, 1975, the birthday celebration of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the Bengali nation, the greatest Bengali of a thousand years and the great architect of independence, his beloved wife, their children, sons' wives, relatives who were martyred by the assassin's bullet on that terrible night is a mourning festival. It creates a groan across the chest. Instead of joy, it creates infinite emptiness and pain. Such grief and pain also work on the birthday of Sheikh Russel, the youngest son of Bangabandhu.

Sheikh Russel was born on October 18, 1964. Had he lived, he would have turned 59 on October 18 this year, entering his 60th year. His 60th birth anniversary was celebrated with great joy. But on August 15, 1975, assassins extinguished the lamp of his life, and he lived for only about 11 years.

Sheikh Russel was born without seeing his father. He did not get the warmth of his father during his birth. How to get it? His father was busy with the movement to get the right of this unfortunate country's poor and miserable people to eat three meals daily.

He is tirelessly running from one end of the country to another for his loving poor people. Ignoring the bloody eyes of the West Pakistani ruling class to keep a smile on the faces of the miserable, hardworking people, he is fighting against the unjust of the Government.

It is more vital for him to stand by the poor, miserable and oppressed people of this country than to stand by his beloved wife at the moment of the birth of his youngest son. He loved them very much, so he was in Chattogram for the public meeting that day.

From the year Sheikh Russel was born, a series of dramatic events took place in the politics of East Pakistan. The birth pains of independent Bangladesh began. His father has become a symbol of freedom to the ordinary people of this country by then. Only he can free this country's poor, miserable, helpless people and bring them much-desired freedom. Therefore, after the death of Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, he took the reins of his favourite party Awami League this year and started working hard to establish the party.

Two weeks before the 1964 elections, Bangabandhu was sent to prison on charges of sedition. After that, incidents one after another marked a breakthrough in creating a country called Bangladesh. Six-point movement, a mass uprising against Pakistani military rule, the Agartala conspiracy case, the 11-point movement of students and the 1969 mass uprising, the 1970 general election, Bangabandhu's historic speech on March 7, the non-cooperation movement, the massacre in the name of Operation Searchlight on March 25, 1971, Bangabandhu's declaration of independence, Bangabandhu's arrest and imprisonment in Pakistan and the 9-month long bloody war of liberation and the final victory on December 16—during these historical events, Sheikh Russel, was separated from his father and deprived of his affection, compassion and love.

Since March 25, Sheikh Russel spent almost nine months in house arrest with his family during the liberation war. Not only in house arrest but with fear and terror had to run away with the family.

Due to these incidents, Bangabandhu has been detained in prison several times. When Bangabandhu's family members were allowed to visit him in prison, Sheikh Russel accompanied them. Seeing Bangabandhu, he used to say to his beloved 'Hasu Apu', "Shall I also call your "Abba" (father) as "Abba"?" Hearing this, the tender, hard-pressed Bangabandhu's eyes would have gathered tears.

Sheikh Russel wanted to know why your father was here. Why does he not go to our house? Bangamata Sheikh Fajilatunnessa Mujib, the beloved consort of Bangabandhu, the inspirer of all his movements and struggles, used to tell everything to the child Russel. Why is his father in prison? Because the prison is another house of his father. He has to come here often because his father is fighting for the right of this country's poor, miserable and helpless people to get food, clothes, shelter, education and medical treatment. He is fighting against injustice and oppression. He wants to make this country independent and put a smile on their faces. They want to make this country a 'Golden Bengal'.

But now those who run the country don't like your father's activities. That's why they keep your father imprisoned sometimes. So he can't talk about the poor, miserable people; the movement cannot form. After hearing from his mother, the child Russel also developed a love for the country's poor, unfortunate people. Sometimes whenever they visit the village with his family — they take clothes for the village children. Bangamata also teaches him that when his father is not at home, he can call him 'Abba'.

After a year and a half after his birth, Sheikh Russel learned why he could not find his father. Still, the ignorant child did not want to understand. Sometimes he would sit with a hefty face when he couldn't find his father. He didn't want to eat in time. The toys were lying around. When the beloved dog Tommy barked, he thought he had scolded him.

The country became independent after nine months of bloody war. After independence, Sheikh Russel was released from house arrest and said 'Joy Bangla' on the streets. His two elder brothers had not yet returned from the war, and his father was in jail in West Pakistan. Finally, when Bangabandhu returned to the country on January 10, 1972, Sheikh Russel approached him. His world continues to evolve. Childhood gets fast pace. He spent his serene and secure childhood riding a bicycle, catching fish and releasing it back to the pond, playing with friends at school, and studying at school and home.

Sheikh Russel grew up with the love of his mother, his father's affection and love, the respect and love of his elder sisters and brothers and the love and care of his school teachers, friends and loved ones at home. But it is sad that for the people of the country for whom his father spent day after day in jail, endured torture, and persecution, who was trying his best to make his beloved Bangladesh a 'Golden Bengal'; to bloom smile on the face of the poor people; he was killed by some traitors of this country with national and international conspiracy. Not only Bangabandhu but his family members, including Sheikh Russel, innocent children who were like flowers, were brutally killed.

At midnight on August 15, 1975, blood flowed at house number 32 in Dhanmondi, where Sheikh Russel was born and grew up. The murderers who killed Sheikh Russel and his innocent childhood killed not only him but innocent children and their childhood all over the world, dying and insulting the lives, childhoods, prospects and rights of billions of children worldwide.

This is a matter of great shame and disgrace for us as the Bengali nation. Is it easy for a conscientious person aware of society and politics to bear this shame? Why do we have to mourn instead of joy on the birthday of Shishu (child) Sheikh Russel? Why does his beloved 'Hasu Apu' (Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina) have to ask the countrymen and the people in the world in an emotional voice, 'What was the offence of my dear Russel?'

I do not know the answer to this question, and all I know is '...the pain in the chest is immense'.

The writer is a researcher and development worker