Bholahat (Chapainawabganj) Correspondent:
In Bholahat, Chapainawabganj, a tortured and helpless mother of three children, Tajkera, is going door to door without getting justice anywhere due to a family dispute! She has sought justice in the village, police station and even the court with her three children, but without getting any solution, she is finally living in the house of her son-in-law and daughter-in-law. It is as if Tajkera and her three children are a burden to everyone in this world.
It was learned from the ground that Tajkera Khatun, daughter of Md. Hafizuddin of Chardharampur Mistripara village of Sadar Union of the upazila, got married to Saibur Rahman, son of Abdus Sattar of the same village, about 22 years ago. Although the couple did not have happiness and peace in their long-term marriage, they became parents of 3 children in the meantime. Tajkera’s husband Saibur Kamla does not spend much of his income on his family expenses, but gives all the money he earns to his father and brothers, falling into the trap of temptation.
Due to this, quarrels and fights continue in the needy family. To meet the needs of life and livelihood, Tajkera’s wife chooses a way to earn money, and she supports the family by raising cows, raising poultry and working on a sewing machine at home. But Tajkera, a hardworking housewife, was not spared from the torture of her characterless husband Saibur. He would constantly beat her and quarrel. His father Saibur Rahman did not pay the education expenses and maintenance of his sons and daughters properly. Saibur’s daughters Salma, Kamela and Abdus Samad (7) all broke down in tears when they spoke about their father’s torture.
Due to the tyranny and insecurity of her characterless father, mother Tajkera was forced to marry off her two daughters at an immature age. Tajkera managed the family by raising cows, poultry, and working on sewing machines. Tajkera used the cows to survive and save money to provide for the happiness of her daughters and sons-in-law.
Meanwhile, in view of her husband’s tyranny, Tajkera’s half-acre residential land was registered to her husband, and his wife Tajkera’s mother, Aleema Begum, bought the half-acre residential land for her daughter Tajkera from her son-in-law Saibur, thinking of her daughter Tajkera’s happiness. Even then, Saibur’s wife would physically torture Tajkera and use steamrollers.
On the afternoon of June 23, when the tyrannical husband Saibur came home from work, Tajkera was cooking on the stove and dal was boiling in the pot. At that time, the husband Saibur’s younger daughter Kamela was involved in a verbal argument with the father Saibur about the agricultural card. When the father used foul language that could not be brought to the mouth, the wife stopped him and the steamroller went on the wife. At one point in the beating of Tajkera, the perverted husband grabbed his wife’s throat and bit her hand.
Not stopping there, when the husband Saibur attacked his wife and daughter with his ‘boti’ to save his and his daughter’s lives, Tajkera threw the pot of dal and the hot dal spilled on the husband and saved the mother and daughter’s lives. Based on this incident, relatives including Tajkera’s husband Saibur’s brothers Ahedur, Monirul and father Abdus Sattar filed a case against Tajkera, her daughters Salma and Komela, and 6 others, at the Bholahat police station. The injured Tajkera received treatment at the Bholahat Health Center. Her husband Saibur also received treatment at the same place.
But what is surprising in the eyes of the society is that although the Bholahat police station accepted the case of the oppressor husband Saibur’s elder brother Ahedur, the police station did not accept the case of the abused woman Tajkera. The case filed by the aggressor was lodged with the police station along with the helpless Tajkera’s two daughters. When Tajkera came out on bail, the plaintiffs looted all the belongings in her house and locked Tajkera’s house. The familyless Tajkera, unable to find a way out, took refuge in the houses of her daughter and son-in-law.
In a broken voice, Tazkera’s younger daughter Komela said, “Father Saibur always physically abused my mother. I never received any affection or affection from my father. Most of the time, he would curse me in various bad words. When I asked my father for money to pay my school fees, buy books and guides, or demand a good dress, he would beat me because he didn’t have the money.
She also said that he would not give me or my mother my school stipend money. My father would leave the entire money with him. I studied up to the tenth grade with my stipend money. My father never cared about our education or that of any of my siblings. My father gave birth to us, but Komela could not speak anymore because he did not fulfill his father’s responsibilities. Seeing this scene of Kamela’s tears, the reporter also shed tears.
Tajkera Begum also said in broken tears, “Sir, I have worked in the fields and ghats like a man to earn two handfuls of food for the children of the family. Still, it is good that my children are happy and at peace.” Tajkera said in broken tears, “There may be a little quarrel between the husband and wife to make a living, sir. They beat me with a stick in a way that I cannot describe in words in front of you.” When I came home, I saw that the cows in my house were sold for 260,000 taka in cash, 3 gold bars, 3 bicycles, 3 cows, 7 goats, 4 maunds of potatoes, 2 maunds of mustard, and all the daily necessities of the family were gone. In fact, when I came home, I saw that the door of the house was locked. I am now living in the house of my daughter and son-in-law. I am strongly demanding fair justice from Sarkar Bahadur through you for my such situation, sir!”
When asked about his father, Abdus Samad, a 7-year-old child, said in broken tears, “When I regain consciousness, I go to get dressed.” (He gestured with his hand) He beat me like this. He hit me in the stomach and neck! Little Abdus Samad could not understand anything else in his broken tears.
The incident of this helpless woman is echoing in the air of Bholahat. The only question on everyone’s face is, has the rule of law in the country collapsed? Will the helpless 7-year-old son Abdus Samad, along with his two daughters, not get legal support and justice?