A Boat Ride and Faith by Our Side -Taslim Ujjal

The date was May 2, 2023. Coincidentally, it was also my birthday. Our Eid reunion program took place on this day. We arranged a boat trip to make the program more delightful. I was overjoyed to have such a special event on my birthday. Moreover, our chief guest was Ariful Islam Rahat, and Saiful Islam joined us as the special guest of the Eid reunion program.

The journey started at approximately 2:30 PM from South Banasree. Our destination was the Murapara Jamindar House in Rupganj. After finishing our lunch on the boat, we sang many patriotic songs and nasheeds. Then, we reached our desired destination. Afterwards, we played football and other games, which were the main attractions of the program. Altogether, we had a joyful time.

To stay informed, we needed to keep all our senses alert in any environment. Our elder brothers assumed that someone was following us. While everyone was busy rejoicing, some of the responsible brothers could foresee the. Later, we found out that the boatman had received a call from an unknown number asking who we were and where we were going. Our doubts were doubled. By trusting in Allah, we started moving. On the way back, our guests stopped the boat for a short time in the middle of the river and spoke.

“The further time moves forward, the more chaotic it becomes. We needed to remain vigilant at all times. In addition, our elder brothers suspected that someone was following us. While everyone was busy rejoicing, some of the responsible brothers could foresee potential danger. As a result, a few of our brothers inspected the designated landing spot, finding everything in order. Later, we learned that the boatman had received a call from an unknown number asking who we were and where we were going. This doubled our suspicion. We continued our journey, trusting in Almighty Allah. On the way back, our guests spoke briefly on the boat. However, we were constantly under surveillance by the fascist intelligence force.

“Coming in front of Trimohani Gudara Ghat, our boat was heading towards South Banasree. It was almost dark, close to Isha time. I was talking on the phone with my mother and told her I would come home after the Isha prayer—’Don’t worry,’ I said. Who knew that my short journey would turn into a long 54 days?”

“Suddenly, before we knew it, hundreds of police officers in two boats surrounded us from both sides and ordered us to sit down. We were taken to the police van one by one, and each person’s mobile phone was separated. The full force of the Khilgaon-Sabujbagh area—Ansar, SB, all—arrested us under the leadership of the DC.

They took us to the police station in pairs for the investigation. Then Rahat bhai and I went together and gave them our names and addresses. I am Taslim Ujjal, and with me is Ariful Islam Rahat.”

Conversation with the OC
Saiful Bhai told the OC, “Sir, our studies have already been threatened by wrongful arrests before. If something like this happens again, our lives will be ruined.”
“Sir, we have many young boys with us—please let them go.”
“I see,” said the OC, then ordered us to be taken to the lockup.

There’s a lot to say about our time at the police station. A case was filed under the Explosives Act, after what felt like the script of a drama was written—they claimed we had petrol bombs with us. We even joked that the only ‘bomb’ we had was the football. Later on, 10-day remand was sought for everyone. Among us, 18 were underage. They were sent to Kashimpur Juvenile Jail, while the rest of us were granted a 3-day remand. Following that, Keraniganj Jail became our new home.

Remembering the inhumane torture still brings pain to my heart. The little boys’ departure from the courtroom broke our hearts. Seeing our dearest brothers endure various hardships and torture in prison was the greatest emotional pain for the elder ones. When our elder brothers came to visit, we would plead, “How are the younger brothers in Kashimpur? Please, don’t let them suffer.”

In those days, we were arrested, but our spirit was unbroken. We faced pain but came out stronger and united and ascended to do what is right. The strength we found in one another—not the fear we felt—will make our Eid celebrations unforgettable.