After being widowed and left alone following the loss of her husband and six children during the Liberation War in 1971, Meherjan Bibi is now in an utterly helpless state.
The 88-year-old now lives on alms. “I can eat only during the day when I get alms or I have to starve.”
The old lady is now living in a shelter in Asrayan, a government project for the homeless, in Feni’s Dharmapur.
When this correspondent went to meet her she came out of her room with the support of a pair of crutches.
“I am passing days in utmost helplessness. There is nobody to look after me,” said a tearful Meherjan.
From her documents it was found that Meherjan was born in 1930 in Chandpur Sadar upazila. She was married to Subeder Maj ATM Shamsuddin of Borodholi village in Sonagazi upazila of Feni district.
During 1950s, the entire village was swallowed up by the river; the family lost everything and went to Dhaka city. They then rented a house in Mirpur-1.
Meherjan said her husband and six sons were martyred in the Liberation War.
The two other sons do not inquire about their mother, and she also does not know about their current whereabouts. She also had two daughters who died.
“The barbaric Pakistany army not only killed my husband and six sons they also set my house in Mirpur on fire.
“Before independence I was a teacher at Mirpur Bangla Medium High School (now Mirpur Bangla High School). After the country became independent a report on my miserable condition was published on the daily Banglar Bani that drew attention to Bangabandhu.
“Bangabandhu gave me and my daughter-in-law Tk 2,000 each and made arrangements for Hajj pilgrimage for us,” Meherjan reminisced.
Sources at Feni district administration said Meherjan became mentally ill after coming to know that her husband and children were martyred in the Liberation War.
In 2009, a member of the Government Railway Police found Meherjan begging at the Feni railway station and took her to the district administration office.
The district administration arranged for her rehabilitation at the Asrayan project. Since then Meherjan has been living there.
Syed Nasir Uddin, freedom fighter commander of Sonagazi upazila in Feni, said Meherjan’s husband and children were martyred in the Liberation War.
“I saw her name in the gazette. But she has not received assistance from the state,” Nasir said.
“We will provide all out cooperation to Meherjan since she is a family member of martyred freedom fighters,” said Feni Deputy Commissioner Manoj Kumar Roy.
Thursday, June 04, 2026
