I make videos to forget family hardship, I am not a journalist: Viral Taijul Islam

Taijul Islam, a 30-year-old content creator from Kurigram, shot to overnight fame after asking a shopkeeper: "How much are you selling jilapi for at the government rate? How much for the white ones, how much for the red ones? If you told people, we would be very happy." On social media, he is now known as 'Taju Bhai 2.0', and his followers are multiplying rapidly.

Taijul Islam hails from Uttar Dhakdhar Sarkarpara village in Narayanpur union of Nageshwari upazila, Kurigram. Due to poverty, he never set foot in a school. Yet a video made by this young man from a remote village has recently sparked nationwide discussion.

On his Facebook page 'Taju Bhai 2.0', he made a video of jilapi being sold at Narayanpur Bazar on the occasion of Independence Day (March 26). In the video, he asked the shopkeeper whether jilapi was being sold at the 'government rate'. The video, with its simple and straightforward presentation, went viral instantly.

In the viral video, he can be seen going to a local shop and asking in rustic language, "There are many shops here, many are frying jilapi. I want to ask you—how much are you selling jilapi for? How much for the white ones, how much for the red ones?" He then asks the shopkeeper, "How much are you selling jilapi for today at the government rate? If you told people, we would be very happy."

After the video went viral, his followers increased rapidly from just 6,000 to approximately 90,000. Nearly 5.5 million people have viewed the video. The matter has drawn mixed reactions on social media—while some praise his simplicity, others troll and mock him.

In personal life, Taijul is the son of Sirajul Islam of Narayanpur union, surrounded by the Brahmaputra river in Nageshwari upazila. Speaking with Taijul, it is learnt that his family consists of his father, mother, three brothers and three sisters. Two of his sisters are married. Taijul is the eldest in the family, while the others are studying. The family has no land of their own and lives on someone else's land. His parents are hearing impaired, and his mother works on roads as a labourer. To support his impoverished family, Taijul works as a construction labourer in Dhaka. When he returns home after working for three to four months, he makes these videos. Essentially, Taijul enjoys entertainment and likes being part of music and cultural groups. He engages in such work to forget his family's hardships.

Reaching this remote area requires crossing four river ghats, so journalists and others rarely come here. Taijul Islam said he makes videos to forget his sorrow and to draw the attention of the administration and journalists to the development of the area. He has clarified that he is not a journalist.

"I make videos to forget my family's hardship, I am not a journalist," Taijul Islam said.

Narayanpur Union Parishad Chairman Md Mostafizur Rahman said, "The boy's house is right in front of my council office. But I heard just today that he makes videos and has gone viral."