Story of a forgotten freedom fighter and Bangladesh’s neglected history

If engineering students from BUET had taken on diplomatic roles, perhaps it would have benefited the nation. However, even without that, Dr. Yunus, as the chief advisor of Bangladesh’s interim government, is demonstrating his diplomatic skills on the world stage today. His role is being discussed and analyzed globally. This makes me wonder: is academic knowledge alone enough to accomplish everything correctly? Certainly not. Because without application and practice, knowledge loses its value. In this context, let’s revisit the life of a war courier during the Liberation War.

I was very young then, but I still vividly remember my first encounter with her—an unforgettable moment. A slender, dusky-skinned young woman, a beacon of light for Bengalis, had left Faridpur and arrived in our village, holding her husband's hand, with a little girl in tow.

She was my grandmother, though she did not like being called "Dadi" because she was still young. I was too little to understand such nuances. One day, I asked her, "Oh Dadi, are you Bengali?"

She immediately replied in a stern voice, "Yes, I am Bengali! And you are all Punjabis!"

Our neighbor, an elderly man, was poor and worked as a laborer. My grandmother often helped my mother in various ways. Her daughter's name was Hasi, so everyone called her "Hasi’s mother."

My elder brother, Professor Dr. Mannan Mridha, once recalled our grandmother, saying, “She was a flying bird, a freelancer, never idle, always a rebel, a messenger.” These, he believed, were the true characteristics of a Bengali, especially those from Faridpur, Jessore, and Kushtia. History shows that many intellectuals from these regions—Rabindranath Tagore, Suchitra Sen, Michael Madhusudan Dutt—left their homelands under pressure, becoming revolutionaries in their own right. Their brilliance illuminated the world and opened new horizons.

From what I remember, my grandmother did not leave Faridpur due to poverty but out of love. She did not just join a family; she became a symbol of Bengali consciousness, a reflection of our protest and struggle. When she first called us "Punjabis," she was already asserting her role as a messenger of the freedom movement.

Looking back now, I see how everyone answered Bangabandhu’s call to erase that "Punjabi" label. My grandmother played an extraordinary role in the Liberation War. She carried messages for the freedom fighters, secretly infiltrated the camps of collaborators to gather intelligence, and spread the latest news before anyone else. Visiting her meant getting the freshest updates on the war. Yet, she had no formal education—only practical knowledge, wisdom, and strategic diplomacy.

Even today, she remains a silent witness to history. Her very existence reminds us not to forget our past—who we were and what we have become!

My grandmother was an ordinary woman. I know bits and pieces of her life, though after my parents passed away, our bond somewhat loosened. The last time I saw her was in 2014 when I spent two days with her in Nohata. She shared many stories of joy and sorrow, but for some reason, I never asked her: When the country gained independence, some gained everything, while others lost everything—why did she receive nothing?

During the war in 1971, my grandmother lost her home, her 12- or 13-year-old daughter Hasi, and later her husband—all victims of the brutal Pakistani forces. She only lost, but the country or society never gave her anything in return. Why?

Today, after seeing a short video of my grandmother, I realized she is living in extreme poverty. She barely manages to eat twice a day. She cannot afford treatment at Nohata Bazaar. Maybe proper treatment is out of reach, but neglecting her is also a grave injustice!

I sincerely hope that the state and all of us do something for this living piece of history. If another Bengali New Year (Pohela Boishakh) comes to Bangladesh, I hope to see my grandmother there, smiling. I hope to hear her say—

“I went to the fair and saw a boy playing the flute. Amazing! I never believed a flute could be so enchanting!”

This winter, let’s give my grandmother a small, comfortable home filled with love. So that this coming Boishakh, we can hear new laughter in her voice—just like the people of this country who have finally exercised their right to vote in a true democracy!

Oh, Bangladesh! What you couldn't achieve in 53 years, Dr. Yunus has done in just a few months. His diplomatic skills have made waves worldwide. I don't know if our diplomats will learn anything from him. But I hope they at least realize how crucial honest and skilled leadership is in building a democratic nation.

Oh, beloved motherland, I still miss you every moment. I have achieved much in life, yet I feel something is missing!

This void of not having you close haunts me to this day. I have only one prayer to the Almighty—

In the final days of my life, may I see you truly become the golden Bengal of our dreams—where no grandmother like mine has to beg at strangers' doors just for food, clothing, medical care, or shelter!

Rahman Mridha: Researcher & Former Director, Pfizer, Sweden