Shaking hands with Moni Da
It was in 1983. I had already got admission in BUET. After the
killing of a few students by Ershad junta the universities went on
indefinite vacation. That time I was active khelaghar movement. One day
when I went to Dhaka with Arzu Bhai (Comrade Azharul Islam Arzu from
Manikgonj). My destination was BUET, but he asked me to go to the CPB
office where for the first time I met Moni Da and Farhad Bhai. After
that many time I went there, exchanged words with Nurul Islam Nahid
Bhai, Lenin Bhai, Selim Bhai< Kali Da, Sjekhar Da, Ajoy Da and many
others, but never with Moni Da. He was quite old that time. I always
saw him sitting on a chair.
It was sometimes in mid-August, 1983. Finally our session in BUET began. Those days, if stayed back in Dhaka, I usually spent the afternoon at the party office. One day, when I went there, some public function took place. I was standing in front of the stair, just in front of the room where Moni Da sat. There was a stage in front of the office. Many known faces were there waiting when Moni would come to the stage. As I stood there, I saw Moni Da was coming down. At the last step of the stair suddenly he began to fall back. Nobody was there nearby. Automatically stretched out my hand and in no time Moni Da caught it. That time I was much slim with only 43 kg. At one stage I began to fall down. I realized that unless someone comes to our rescue I can’t keep the balance and Moni Da would fall with me. There should be some noise, but I wasn’t in a position to hear that. My total concentration was on Moni Da. At last to my great release Kali Da came running and hold Moni Da from behind and took him to the stage. For a long time I was very excited. I was thinking what would happen if Kali Da a bit late. I would see thousands eyes staring at me and curiously thinking whether I would be able to keep Moni Da standing.
I met Moni Da a few times after that during my visits to Bangladesh in 1987 and 1989. I guess he visited Moscow after 1983. But that first hand shake is still here with me. Everything is so vivid that as if it took place only yesterday.
We are planning to remember you one of these days in Moscow. Hope I can argue my friends to meet and talk about you, about your legacy. Long Live Comrade!
It was sometimes in mid-August, 1983. Finally our session in BUET began. Those days, if stayed back in Dhaka, I usually spent the afternoon at the party office. One day, when I went there, some public function took place. I was standing in front of the stair, just in front of the room where Moni Da sat. There was a stage in front of the office. Many known faces were there waiting when Moni would come to the stage. As I stood there, I saw Moni Da was coming down. At the last step of the stair suddenly he began to fall back. Nobody was there nearby. Automatically stretched out my hand and in no time Moni Da caught it. That time I was much slim with only 43 kg. At one stage I began to fall down. I realized that unless someone comes to our rescue I can’t keep the balance and Moni Da would fall with me. There should be some noise, but I wasn’t in a position to hear that. My total concentration was on Moni Da. At last to my great release Kali Da came running and hold Moni Da from behind and took him to the stage. For a long time I was very excited. I was thinking what would happen if Kali Da a bit late. I would see thousands eyes staring at me and curiously thinking whether I would be able to keep Moni Da standing.
I met Moni Da a few times after that during my visits to Bangladesh in 1987 and 1989. I guess he visited Moscow after 1983. But that first hand shake is still here with me. Everything is so vivid that as if it took place only yesterday.
We are planning to remember you one of these days in Moscow. Hope I can argue my friends to meet and talk about you, about your legacy. Long Live Comrade!
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