Md. Shamim Hossain – Khulna

An old man is sitting on a van in a sad mood on the side of Bajua Charar road in Khulna’s Dakop Upazila in the heat of Jaishthya month. His name is Mandar Das. Age around 55. It is learned that he is a van driver and regularly plies the van on the roads around Bajua. On asking how he was doing, Mandar Das started talking about his struggling life. He said that he is the father of 3 children. He has two sons and a daughter. Two sons are studying and the daughter is married. Elder son has done masters exam, younger son is honors 2nd year student and daughter is married while studying BA son in law is working in BR. Currently he has a family with his wife and two sons. He is the only earner in the family. There is no place of their own, land or support in the world. Ancestral Vita Khulna District Dakop Upazila Dakop Upazila in Das Para next to Bajua SN College. There are two khata places in the name of three brothers. Before driving a van, he worked as a laborer in paddy harvesting. He stopped working after getting a pain in his back. There is nothing else to do. I spend the day very hard. what to do Can’t fit properly. is old Due to my age, I cannot drive the van every day. I am very helpless. Spends the day in trouble. tell me what to do I am a very helpless father. nothing to do Can’t buy a little meat, fish, can’t buy a good curry. If I think about whether I will pay for the schooling of my two sons with the income I earn from driving the van, I will not work in my head anymore. The elder son has passed his master’s examination and now I am worried about how to get a job and where to get money. Meanwhile, I cannot drive the van properly in the extreme heat. Moreover, due to the heat, there are not as many people moving on the streets as before. The landlord works in the next house. He sometimes gives 1/2 piece of meat, some curry from home. Driving a van is sometimes 2000, sometimes 3000, 4000, 5000 taka. Seeing old people, sometimes school and college students give some help. Three boys and girls study in school. They have to pay their expenses. I don’t get any government support. With the income from driving the van, I am making ends meet by continuing to educate the boys”. I am drawing the attention of the higher authorities of the society and the government to arrange employment for the boys and I will be eternally grateful if they give me a little headache.