A Freedom Fighter in Barisal’s Gournadi, suffering from lung cancer has appealed for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s help to fight cancer.
Abdur Rob Sarder, 74, from Nalchira union’s Pingalkathi village, has been suffering from lung cancer and other diseases.
He is seeking the prime minister’s aid for advanced treatment and a house for his family.
Abdur Rob has already taken out a loan of Tk500,000 from the local branch of Sonali Bank for his treatment. Every month Tk9,000 is taken out of his freedom fighter allowance to repay the loan.
After paying for household expenses with the remaining meagre amount, nothing is left for his treatment.
Even though he has sought help from local affluent people and the Bir Muktijoddha Sthanio Samaj Sheba offices, he returned empty-handed.
Rob was present during Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s famous March 7 speech at the Racecourse Maidan in 1971. He stayed in Dhaka till March 26.
On March 27, 1971, he responded to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Mujibur Rahnman’s call to fight in the Liberation War.
He was part of a team of 18 people led by local Hamed Sarker, who crossed the border to neighboring India, to receive training.
He took part in a battle with the Pakistan Army at Banaripara after returning from India.
He served at the Freedom Fighter camp’s intelligence unit in his own area at the directive of Sector-9 group commander Nizam Uddin Akan.
In 1973, he got married and came to Dhaka. However, he returned to his village after the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15, 1975.
He now feeds his family that includes his wife, son and two daughters with the income from pulling rickshaws.
According to Rob, he had inherited a house from his father but that was blown away in a tornado in 1992.
Later, a local social welfare organization built him a hut which and 1996 after PM Hasina came to power, he received some tin with which he built a veranda beside the hut.
After failing to get help everywhere else, Rob now hopes for the prime minister’s aid for his treatment and a house for him and his family.
To send help: Abdur Rob Sarder, Savings Account Number: 13586, Sonali Bank, Gournadi Branch Barisal. Contact no: 01705-806339.
