Comrade Sattar
Dr. S M Babulanam
Before I left
Yafes' eldest brother Bulbon Osman and his mother were at home. Yafes' other siblings Asfaq, Laila and Janesar had moved away from home. Bulbon Osman was always affectionate to me. At the age of fourteen I wrote my first collection of poems "Bhalobasha Prerona Amar". Shawkat Osman had then received Adamjee Prize of 5000 rupees for the novel "Kritadasher Hashi". I wanted show him my poems. Yafes told me to show my first book to his elder brother Bulbon because his father was too busy. Bulbon Osman embarassed me by his first question whether I had any experience of love affairs. He advised me to refrain from spoling my time in writing such poems until I gained a practical experience of it.
After leaving Notre Dame College in 1964 I had not visited their house till independence in 1972. My contact to the family became intimate when I had bought two pairs of "Gire Barge" pegions from Yafes' younger brother Turhan Osman. These pegions used to fly back to their old home inspite of my all endeavour. Many evenings I disturbed them to get back my pegions. Turhan, who was a slim shy young boy used to come out reluctantly to take out the pegions. He was a student of Class-VII in Siddeswari school. One evening he did not come back home from school. He had committed suicide by putting his neck under a goods train in Chashara, between Dhaka and Narayanganj. This horrible incident made me feel guilty when Shawkat Osman received me with a pale smile,-"Kemon achho chacha!" Perhaps, I reminded him his lost son.
On that day of my visit I asked Bulbon Osman about the whereabouts Comrade Sattar. Bulbon Osman informed me that Comrade Abdus Sattar was no more. He had died a year ago. I recalled when I met Comrade Sattar last at Chankhar Pool corner. He had a lot to tell me but I had short of time. I was then a lecturer of Physics of Dacca University and just was riding my bi-cycle back to my duty after my lunch at an ordinary restaurant in front of
Comrade Sattar together with someone named Maola hastily founded CPM of
During Sattar's speech, suddenly a few Awami goondas jumped up on the satge just when Sattar had condemned the evictions of the innocent Biharees from their homes, killing Biharee men and children, looting their belongings and raping the girls and women. The police who were set for the safety of the meeting joined together with Awami gondas to beat Comrade Sattar. They dragged the speaker from the stage. Sattar was so severely beaten that he lost his consciousness. His backbone was broken and he was put into Dacca Central Jail as an enemy independence although he was a genuine freedom fighter who had been a group commander in
I wrote an article about Sattar ten years ago for a Bengali Quaterly "Parikrama" but it was never completed. Now when I listen to Tagore song "Sharod prate amar rat pohalo", and feel myself as "Nishi shesher tarar moto", I feel to write about him, "je kotha
Comrade Abdus Sattar introduced himself to me with a handshake,- "I am Comrade Abdus Sattar, Publicity Secretary of CPM of Bangaldesh." I was a bit puzzled to hear a youth in his early twenties calling himself as a Comrade. This party in
He was quite slim and weak young man with beard like that of a Chinese Emperor. At that time I was learning Hindi to Babu P K Bhattacharya and reading Bhagabat Geeta, reciting,- "Asura bhab binashini, Nashini tomo rajani! Daibi sadgundayini, bhaba rasika sajani!". We saw Comrade Sattar coming to us. Babu said, "He walks like a woman, thamok thamok chola". It was perhaps because of his injury of his backbone.
Comrade Sattar is no more. He has left me with his usual smile. "Oh No, now it pains again!" he used to say with a smile. I never saw him in a bad humour. He took the life as a non-serious gambler!
Sattar left for me an unfinished story of an operation in
When Sattar was narrating it to me, the sun was setting behined Jail Wall of Urdu Road. I was afraid to hear what had happened at last to her. Did they kill her for their own safety or freed her in a jungle where there were abundant man-eater tigers! Before Sattar could tell me what happened finally, we were suddenly separated to our own cells at the time of Magrib prayer on
I am a chicken hearted man who never touched any fire-arm. When I was ten years old, my elder brother who together with our house-servant got the task to perform the ritual "jabai" uttering "Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim, Allahu Akbar!" failed one day, had cut-off the head of a chicken by his shivering hand. Then I got that proud job as a brave lad. However, that art of killing I left by a year, after watching the suffering of a duck slaughtered me. Our house-servant had hold the duck's legs and I had the knife on my right hand while my left hand had tightened its throat, I had perfectly two and a half strokes by a sharp knife to let the duck bleed maximum under its long death-pang of about thirty minutes, running around in our courtyard. Many times I was at the brink of death but living as if I have seven lives as in computer games. But never since then was I an agent of Azrail taking active role in the irreversible process of extinguishing a life.
Sattar was the Publicity Secretary of"Comunist Party of
Next time I'll narrate som of his other misdeeds, such as writing love letters for a fraud. Or what happened on
Here I would like to introduce him with a short background.
Comrade Sattar: A spoiled child
Sattar came from a well-to-do family in
His father had a jeep so Sattar learnt to drive a car from their chaufeur when he was only twelve years old. His family was in close contact with the elites in
At the age of fifteen studying was studying in class Eight. Then there happened an accident which made Sattar to mature early.
He had a Hindu girl class-mate whose family was intimate friend to his family. They were always invited to them in all occasions. One day during the leisure period, the girl eloped with a Muslim boy. After the leisure, the girl did not come back to the class. That evening the father of the girl filed a case to the police.
A few days later, the couple was arrested somewhere and sent to custody in
Before he would stand as a witness, the father of the girl was vary affectionate to him and led him the way.
The pleader of the boy interrogated him in the court:
Q: Have you seen by your own eye the girl going with the boy?
A: Yes I did see in my own eyes.
Q: When?
A: During the leisure.
Q: How they went.
A: They walked.
Q: How they went? The girl was in front, beside or behind him?
A: She was walking behind him.
Q: Had he any knife or weapon with him.
A: No, I saw nothing.
At once the pleader of the girl shouted, "Hostile witness"!
When Sattar got down, all looked at him angrily. He was no more affectionate to them. That incident affected the family friendship. But Sattar felt that it was unjust because none had told him what he should say in the court. But the Hindu family took that otherwise as Sattar told that intentionally. So he was no longer welcomed to that family, but he did not take it seriously.
During the next Puja festival, he along with two other class-friends went as usual at the house of the girl. But instead of getting "prasad", he was held at the neck by the Purut of the Puja, and dragged out of the place in presence of all others.
To take revenge, Sattar and his two friends broke into the Pujaghar at night and broke the neck of the deity.
Next morning it was like a stormy day. The punishment of the offenders was demanded by all. It was a severe charge. Sattar and his friends were accused. The Purut was furious and demanded almost capital punishment of the offenders. He was sure that it was Sattar and his friends who had done it. But as they were only fifteen years old, they had to beg pardon, promise that they would never do such things again. But most humiliating was to give "nake-khat" (the priest drew a line on the ground with the toe of his right foot while Sattar and his friends had to follow that line on the ground by touching thier noses). After that insult, Sattar could no more sleep well.
It must be revenged secretly. They knew that the Purut usually took a bath early in the morning at the nearby canal. He usually was at the ghat at dawn when still it was quite dark. There were two large trees at the ghat which made it quite mysterious. One night, before the dawn, Sattar and his friends hid themselves in the trees. Just when the Purut had his first "doob", Sattar and friends made ghostly noise, and one of his friends jumped immediately in the water. The two others followed immediately. The Purut was so terribly frightened that he did never look back, screaming in the deities' name he ran to home. He was quite old, got fever and narrated to the doctor that a gang of terrible "Bhuts" were after him. People, who suspected about "Bhut", started to guess who could be actually the real "Bhuts". The priest died after three days of suffering.
Now Sattar and his friends were in panik. They did not think that the "Purut" would die out of fear. Now they might be charged for murder and hanged. So, one night he stole some money and left the house secretly. He took the train to
Now, he was a servant. He got a bed in the garage without window and full of mosquitoes. He had his food with the servants of the family. Early in the morning he cleaned the car, got it ready to drive. He had to hold the door of the car open when the children will get into to car to go to school. After opening the door when they get down, he had saluted them. He was the most obedient chauffeur who had his nights full of nightmare for charge of murder.
After about a month, something happened strange! That evening Sattar was asked to take dinner with the family members at the dinning table. Sattar felt uneasy. He got his bead in the guest room. What had happened! Sattar slept badly. He saw the Magistrate smiled at him mysteriously and all the family members treated him very kindly and differently.
But just after a few days, his dilema was over. Just when he took the children home, he saw his elder brother, who was a Magistrate of Dacca, standing together with his boss. The mystery was over when his boss disclosed that when he saw in the Daily, "Niruddesh" with a photo of Sattar, where his elder brother was seeking help of his dear younger brother who had left home without telling any one. An informer will get a good remuneration!" On that evening the situation had changed for Sattar at his employer's house who was waiting for the arrival of Sattar's brother, lest Sattar secretly leave them. Sattar was handed over to his brother who took him to
But Sattar continued his naughtiness till he was put into jail in 1972 for his speech at Baitul Mukarram pleading for the life and honour of innocent Biharees. He was released unpunished after a few years, got married and died leaving a minor son.
Next time I'll narrate som of his other misdeeds, such as writing love letters for a fraud. Or what happened on
Sattar sometimes reminds me of "Emil of Loneberg" by Astrid Lindegren. Emil always caused trouble unintentionally. Perhaps one day a writer like Astrid Lindegren will write a popular series in for Bengali children from the life of Sattar.
Comrade Abdus came from a well-to-do family in Khulna. His father got his second marriage becuase his first wife was childless. Sattar was the second child of the second wife. But the first wife was very rich. In fear of property would be lost at her early death, as well as to comfort her, Sattar's father made Sattar as the registered son of the first wife. So, Sattar got too much affection of his adopting mother and of the family as well.
His father had a jeep so Sattar learnt to drive a car from their chaufeur when he was only twelve years old. His family was in close contact with the elites in Khulna, Muslims as well as the Hindus. The Hindu families used to invite them during the Puja.
When Sattar was a Chaufeur
At the age of fifteen he was studying at class Eight. Then happened an accident which made Sattar to mature early.
He had a Hindu girl class made whose family was intimate friend to his family. They were always invited to them in all occassions. One day during the leisure period, the girl eloped with a Muslim boy. After the leisure, the girl did not come back to the class. That evening the father of the girl filed a case to the police.
A few days later, the couple was arrested somewhere and sent to custody in Khulna jail. The girl was freed as an underaged child and the boy faced trial for kidnapping under threat. The father of the girl named Sattar as a witness. Sattar feeled himself great to become a witness. But everthing went hastily. The pleader of the girl had forgotten to teach Sattar what he should say and what he should not. So, when questioned by the pleader of the boy, Sattar told the truth as he had seen.
Before he would stand as a witness, the father of the girl was vary affectionate to him and led him the way. The pleader of the boy interrogated him in the Court:
Q: Have you seen by your own eye the girl going with the boy?
A: Yes I did see in my own eyes.
Q: When?
A: During the leiusre period.
Q: How they went.
A: They walked.
Q: How they went? The girl was infront, beside or behind him?
A: She was walking behind him.
Q: Had he any knife or weapon with him.
A: No, I saw nothing.
At once the pleader of the girl shouted, "Hostile witness"!
When Sattar got down, all looked at him angrily. He was no more affectionate to them. That incident affected the family friendship. But Sattar felt that it was unjust because none had told him what he should say in the court. But the Hindu family took that otherwise as Sattar told that intentionally. So he was no longer welcomed to that family, but he did not take it seriously.
During the next Puja, he along with two other class-friends went as usual at the house of the girl. But instead of getting "prasad", he was held at the neck by the Purut of the Puja, and dragged out of the place infront of all others.
To take revenge, Sattar and his two friends broke into the Pujaghar at night and broke the neck of the "Devi".
Next morning it was like a stormy day. The punishment of the offenders was demanded by all. It was a severe charge. Sattar and his friends were accused. The Purut was furious and demanded almost capital punishment of the offenders. He was sure that it was Sattar and his friends who had done it. But as they were only fifteen years old, they had to beg pardon, promise that they would never do such things again. But most humilating was to give "nake khat" (the priest drew a line on the ground with the toe of his right foot while Sattar and his friends had to follow that line on the gound by touching thier noses). After that insult, Sattar could no more sleep well.
It must be revenged secretly. They knew that the Purut usually took a bath early in the morning at the nearby canal. He usally was at the ghat at dawn when still it was quite dark. There were two large trees at the ghat which made it quite mysteroius. One night, before the dawn, Sattar and his friends hid themselves in the trees. Just when the Purut had his first "doob", Sattar and friends made ghostly noise, and one of his friends jumped immediately in the water. The two others followed him immediately. The Purut was so terribly frightend that he did never look back, screaming in the deities' name he ran to home. He was quite old, got fever and narrated to the doctor that a gang of terrible "Bhuts" were after him. People, who suspected about "Bhut", started to guess who were the real "Bhuts". The priest died after three days of suffering.
Now Sattar and his friends were in panik. They did not think that the "Purut" would die out of fear. Now they might be charged for murder and hanged. So, one night he stole some money and left the house secretly.
He took the train to North Bengal and came to Rajshahi. There he spent a few days roaming around and knowing nothing what to do. Then one morning he saw a anounce in a Daily Newspaper for a chaufeur to a Magistrate. He went to the interveiw. He told that he was a student of class Nine, living with his mother who was a poor widow. He could not continue his school because of proverty. The Magistrate was kind. Although he hesitated to appoint such a young boy, Sattar got the job to drive the Magistrate's private car.
Now, he was a servant. He got a bed in the garage without window and full of mosquitoes. He had his food with the servants of the family. Early in the morning he cleaned the car, got it ready to drive. He had to held the door of the car open when the children will get into to car to go to school. After oppening the door when they get down, he had saluted them. He was the most obedient chaufeur who had his nights full of nightmare for charge of murder.
After about a month, somthing happened strange! That evening Sattar was asked to take dinner with the family members at the dinning table. Sattar felt uneasy. He got his bead in the guest room. What had happened! Sattar slept bad. He saw the Magistrate smiled at him mysteriously and all the family members treated him very kindly and differently.
But just after a few days, his dilema was over. Just when he took the children home, he saw his elder brother, who was a Magistrate of Dacca, standing together with his boss. The mystery was over when his boss disclosed that when he saw in the Daily ,"Niruddesh" with a photo of Sattar, where his elder brother was seeking help of his dear young brother who had left home without telling any one. An informer will get a good renumeration!"
On that evening the situation had changed for Sattar at his employer's house who was waiting for the arrival of Sattar's brother, lest Sattar secretly leave them. Sattar was handed over to his brother who take him to Dacca.
Sattar wrote love letters for a servant
Sattar was taken to Dhaka to his elder brother who was a First Class Magistrate. He was admitted to school and was to sit for his school final examination. His brother was not yet married and always busy at his job because of grave political violences in the city. There were a few servants to take care of the household.
Sattar was not attentive to his studies. The schools were then the nurseries of political strikes and agitations. Sattar continued his naughtiness.
He was put in jail in 1972 for his speech at Baitul Mukaarram pleading for the life and honour of innocent Biharees. He was released unpunished after a few years, got married and died leaving a minor son.
Next time I'll narrate som of his other misdeeds, such as writing love letters for a fraud. Or what happened on 7 March 1971, when he boght sweets from a temporay shop during the speech of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Sattar sometimes reminds me of "Emil of Loneberg" by Astrid Lindegren. Emil always caused trouble unintentionally. Perhaps one day a writer like Astrid Lindegren will write a popular series in for Bengali children from the life of Sattar.