“হে বন্ধু, বিদায়!” …. my write up after the law seminar on Rights of Indigenous People
March 25, 2013, was a different day in the premises of Daffodil International University which came up with significant presences in the seminar of Department of Law. We were glad to have among us Professor Dr Mizanur Rahman, Chirman, National Human Rights Commission, as our Chief Guest. Resource persons were Mr Shanjeeb Drong, General Secretary, Bangladesh Adibashi Forum and Mr Abhilash Tripura, National Co-ordinator, ILO, Bangladesh. Title of the seminar was
“International Human Rights Instruments on Indigenous Peoples and implementation in Bangladesh.” Being the Head, Department of Law, I presided over the seminar. My warm thanks to my colleagues & some leader students for making the seminar a grand success. My gratitude & regards to my favorite law teacher, Professor Dr Mizan for his very positive involvement and heartening words towards the law students.
But my today’s write up is not about the seminar, rather about two resource persons of the seminar, Mr Shanjeeb Drong, General Secretary, Bangladesh Adibashi Forum and Mr Abhilash Tripura, National Co-ordinator, ILO, Bangladesh. When I’m writing this designation of Abhilash Tripura, I’m feeling so sad since he is no more in ILO, Bangladesh. I cannot phone him anytime & say,
“Dada, please ekhoni amar office e chole asen, amra further plan gulu kore feli…..” kingba phone kore bolbo na,
“Dada, ami dujon law students pathiye dichhi apnar office e, please oder hatei jinish gulu pathiye den….” In fact such a natural relationship we had which is unexplainable. It’s not that I know this good soul person for a long time, for my profession I came to know this person since the beginning of 2012. At the beginning, we talked over telephone only but when we first met, I just felt like for a long time I know him so well. In my facebook album I mentioned my feelings for Indigenous people & introducing part of Abhialsh da in following way,
“From my childhood I had special feelings for Indigenous people as I used to know different culture, story & history about them from my baba who was the teacher of royal family member, Nandit Roy (chacha of Raja Devasish Roy ) in Dhaka Residential Model College. Later on in Dhaka University life I found Pratim Roy as my very special friend from whom I came to know the rest untold story. In my professional life, we two friends, I & Pratim, did a research work in 2009 and presented my paper in UODA, Law Dept seminar where Raja Devasish was special guest. After joining in Daffodil International University, I met Mr Abhilash Tripura, National Coordinator, ILO, Bangladesh. And To build capacity of the Law students of my dept about indigenous peoples rights, including relevant international human rights instruments and national laws/policies we organized this seminar in cooperation with International Labour Organization. My warm thanks to Abhilash da & Shanjeeb da (Mr. Sanjeeb Drong, General Secretary, Bangladesh Adibashi Forum) for helping me in very positive way to make the seminar a grand success…..”
Dear Readers, after my abovelines, Abhilash da added the following lines, “Thanks so much, Farhana apa for arranging the long awaited seminar. This is one of the very successful and pleasant events I had in my 4 years assignment with ILO. I will particularly remember this seminar for so many reasons, among others, as my last event of my current assignment with ILO. I have worked with Mizan sir and Sanjeeb da very closely in the last 4 years and had many events together. But this is very special one and I hope we will all remember it all.”
Left to right: Farzana, Farhana Mehtab, Manjida, Mizan sir, & Abhilash da
Yes, Abhilash da is no more in ILO …. He is no more in Bangladesh. Before leaving the country, he sent me 300 copies of a precious book for my law students on “ILO Convention on Indigenous and Tribal Populations, And the Laws of Bangladesh” as a token of love, respect & responsibility from ILO. Even in the last day of his office he showed responsibility in such a nice way. We will miss you so much Abhilash da! My special regards and thanks to Shajeeb da for expressing our feelings towards Abhilash da through his soul touching language in Prothom Alao’s column. When I read this in morning, my eyes became teary. I’m giving here just last few lines of the write up for my forum friends. And for further reading, please follow the link.
“প্রিয় বন্ধু,
...কখনো যদি অলস দুপুরে, অথবা মধ্যরাতে আলো ঝলমল আর
ভরা জোছনায় ক্যানবেরার আকাশপানে চেয়ে প্রিয় জন্মভূমি কুরাদিয়াছড়া আর ভাইবোনছড়ার
পায়ে হাঁটা পথ, চেংগী নদীতীরে ফেলে যাওয়া স্বজনের কথা মনে পড়ে,
যদি ভিনদেশে অকারণে বুক শূন্যতায় হাহাকার করে ওঠে,
হে বন্ধু, চলে এসো, আমরা তো রয়েছি এখানে,
ফিরে এসো পাহাড়ি জননীর চোখ ছলছল স্নেহছায়ায়,
বুকে বুক বেঁধে আজ বলি, হে বন্ধু, বিদায়!
এই কবিতা শুনতে শুনতে ছেলেটি কেঁদে দিল শিশুর মতো। পুরো সভাকক্ষ স্তব্ধ। ঢাকা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের অধ্যাপক, বর্তমানে আশা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের ভাইস চ্যান্সেলর ড. ডালেম বর্মণ ছেলেটিকে জড়িয়ে ধরলেন। আমরা কি ভেবে দেখেছি, কেন আমাদের এ জন্মভূমি ছেড়ে মেধাবী সন্তানেরা চলে যাচ্ছে। কেন তারা চলে যায়? আবার দেশান্তরে যাওয়ার সময় কেন তবে চোখের জলে ভাসে?
http://www.prothom-alo.com/detail/date/2013-04-09/news/343421Frahana Helal Mehtab
Associate Professor & Head
Dept of Law, DIU
