After the brutal murder of labour leader Shahidul Islam in Tongi on June 25, his family is now facing serious financial hardship and leading a miserable life as they have lost their lone bread-earner.
Shahidul’s cancer-affected wife Kajoli Akter does not know what to do and how she will meet the expenses of her treatment and education costs of her two children. Even the housewife does not know what she will cook tomorrow.
Narrating the plight, Kajoli Akter told The Business Post that none came forward to help the family except labour leaders since the murder of Shahidul. Neither the administration and the factory owners nor any political parties stand by their family.
Even local public representatives--union council chairman and members--did not come to know the condition of their family till July 7, she said.
She said her husband was the only bread-earner of their family. “We are now facing a serious financial crisis after losing him.” Her elder son Sadkiul Islam Apu (16) has sat for SSC exam this year while younger son Ibrahim Khalliullah (5) is now reading in class one.
In March this year, Kajoli Aktar was diagnosed with cancer. She needs to take 25 radio therapies but she is not able to afford the expenses, and even she has no ability to manage meals for her children regularly without help from others.
She also sought justice from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and other government officials concerned for her husband’s murder.
Fight against cancer and hunger
Frustrated Kajoli is now fighting to meet the cost of her treatment and the family’s everyday needs. She said that she does not know what she will cook for their children the next day. “I do not know how to move or to whom and who will stand by us.”
If the government or the affluent people do not come forward, there is no way for her to survive amid financial hardship, she added.
In February, this year, after a tumour surgery, Kajoli learned that she has infected with cancer. She has already taken several chemotherapies and the doctor advised her to take more chemotherapy and 25 radiotherapies.
Due to the killing of Shahidul, she could not even withdraw his salary before Eid. Now she is worried about bearing the costs of treatment and her family. Expressing her regret, she said, “Maybe I have to leave the world due to lack of treatment.”
According to Kajoli Akter, in 2002 she got married to Shahidul. At that time, they were living in Chowdhury Para at Malibagh in the capital. At that time, Kajoli was also working at a garment factory.
There is no land in the village except the land of their house and there is also no way to generate income. Shahidul’s two brothers also work at a company with poor salaries while his eldest brother is unable to earn due to his old age.
When contacted over phone, BGMEA Vice President Shahidullah Azim said the killers should be brought to book after proper investigation.
“If the victim’s family officially seeks financial help from BGMEA, we will try our best,” he told The Business Post on Monday.
Last memory with her husband Shahidul
According to Kajoli Aktar, she talked to her husband Shahidul Islam on June 25 around 8:00 pm. When the other end of the phone was pressed, she heard a squealing sound. When she asked her husband Shahidul Islam about his arrival at home, he said, “Complete dinner with the children, take medicine and go to bed. I’m in trouble now. I will return home soon.”
She heard noises inside the factory over the phone. Shahidul was working to settle workers’ problems at the factory. She assumed that this kind of noisy environment was created due to a problem. Later, she went to bed.
Afterwards around 9 pm, a colleague in his office informed her that her husband was ill. He had been taken to the hospital. “I said I was talking to him only about an hour ago. What do you say? Asked me to go there, taking the help of anyone.”
“After hearing the news, my brain doesn’t work. Later, Kalpana Apa, president of his organisation, called me and said that Shahidul is no more.”
“I said I was talking to him at 8 o’clock. The man died due to sickness within an hour? What are you saying? It is not possible,” she added.
Kajoli further said, “I was talking to him when he was inside the factory. After coming out of the factory, how did he die? The owner killed him internationally. This is visual evidence. If the owner does not kill him hiring people who killed him?”
“My husband went to the factory to ensure worker rights, not his own rights. How they kill him. Later, we brought the body of Shahidul from the hospital and he was buried at the family graveyard.”
It would be best if I could die instead of Shahidul
Kajoli Akter says, “I am a cancer patient. Allah should take me instead of him. We are now all in a state of death by losing him, and now we are helpless. Our family run with his income. Now the way ahead is dark. There is no source of income except homeland.”
Kajoli said that many people came to her home after her husband’s death but now no one is looking for them. Kalpana Akhtar, president of Bangladesh Government and Industrial Workers Federation, is looking after them. But the administration, the factory owners or any political parties are not standing by them till now.
Now fear what will happen in the coming days
Demanding justice for his father’s death, Shahidul’s elder son Sadkiul Islam Apu (16), who completed the SSC exam, said he is uncertain about what will happen to his future life. He was also worried about bearing the treatment costs of his sick mother and leading their lives.
Shahidul Islam’s nephew Kajol Miah said Shahidul had been working at a garment factory for about 25 years. Shahidul also took training abroad for ensuring workers’ rights. He always protested against injustice and joined the workers’ federation to ensure workers’ rights.
He said, “Shahidul was killed brutally as he protested against various things regarding salary and bonus of workers before Eid. The local people are also shocked at his death.”
The day of killing
Before Eid on June 25, there was a dispute with the authorities over the payment of salary and allowances at Prince Jacquard Sweater Limited in Gazipur’s Tongi. Shahidul Islam, the Gazipur unit president of the Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation (BGIWF), went to the factory to talk to the owners and workers.
At the end of the discussion, when Shahidul came out from the factory, the miscreants suddenly attacked him around 8:00 pm. He was taken to the hospital with serious injury and died in the night while undergoing treatment.
Legal action
Tongi West Police Station Officer-in-charge (OC) Shah Alam said a murder case was registered with the police station against six unnamed people. The case is being investigated with utmost importance as one accused was arrested while they are trying to nab the rest of the accused.
He also said the owner of the factory, Saifuddani, has been interrogated. Saifuddani claims that he does not know anything about the attack.
“The case is being investigated with utmost importance and we hope all the accused will be caught soon,” he added.
Tongi Industrial Police investigation
Kalpona Akter, president of Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation, filed the case. She has expressed her displeasure at the police’s role in the killing of the labour leader Shahidul.
After the killing of Shahidul Islam, Kalpona said, “we have seen local and eyewitnesses providing the names of several people to the police. Two weeks have passed since the murder; the police arrested only one accused and sent him to court. They are unable to hunt down the other accused involved with the murder.”
The case is now being investigated by Industrial Police in the Tongi area.
Kalpona Aktar told journalists that Aminul Islam, who was also a member of the same organization, went missing from Ashulia on April 4, 2012. Later, he was found dead in the Ghatail police station area of Tangail. This time, the leader of the same organization Shahidul Islam was also beaten to death.
Shahidul was a resident of Mitalu village of Rajabari union under Sreepur upazila in Gazipur. He was also joint secretary of Ward No. 2 Awami League of Rajabari union.
