Professor Dr. Md. Sharfuddin Ahmed//

Next October 18, Sheikh Russell’s birthday Sheikh Russell, the youngest son of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was born on one such mild dewy night in 1964. Although he was born in Hemant, he was destined to disappear like a feather. On the day Russell was born, Bangabandhu was staying in Chittagong to campaign for Jinnah.

Even though he did not get a chance to accumulate a lot of memories with his father in his short life, Sheikh Russel’s memory of his father is no less rich. Bangabandhu spent a large part of his life in jail. While the other children understood the seriousness of the matter, the youngest son Sheikh Russell could not understand the matter. So when the child Russell saw his father in jail, he wanted to take him home.

Bangabandhu’s reading room is on one side of that famous house at 32 Dhanmondi. Bangabandhu used to write in that room. But the question arises in Russell’s mind, what does father write? So he asked his mother, what does “mother” write after leaning on the table?

Mother laughs after listening to her son. Then she called Sheikh Hasina and said, “Listen to what your younger brother is saying.” Listen” Sheikh Hasina looked at Russell and said, “Russell, you ask your father yourself, father loves you the most at home.”

Russell was very dear to his father even though he did not get much opportunity to be near him. Dad also loved little Russell. He would not forget to caress Russell even if he passed the time between busy days. Bangabandhu used to wake up every morning and save a little time to caress his little feet Russell Sonar’s forehead, head, chest, chin, cheeks and hair with utmost love. Sheikh Hasina wrote about going to meet Bangabandhu in prison on page 21 of the book ‘Ahr Chhota Russell Sona’, We used to go to meet my father every 15 days. When Russell was taken, he did not want to come. He used to cry a lot. He was made to understand that Abba’s house is a prison and we have come to visit Abba’s house. We will go back home. He was brought back home with great difficulty. And we could understand what would have been the state of mind of Abba. When he cried to come home, his mother would make him understand and teach him to call his mother Abba, to call his mother Abba.

On August 15, 1975, at the age of 11, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu along with other family members were brutally murdered by assassins. There have been many political assassinations in the world over the ages, but nowhere has such brutal, brutal and demonic murders taken place. Russell’s dying day was also to be brightened by his father’s blessing. Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was supposed to come to Dhaka University on August 15, 1975 on the occasion of convocation. Six students were selected by Ulab School to salute Bangabandhu. Bangabandhu’s son Russell was one of them. But Sheikh Russell did not salute the father of the nation. The assassin’s bullet had already taken the life of little Russell. He had to die at the age of 11 along with other members of Bangabandhu’s family.

If Sheikh Russell was alive today, he would have been 57 years old today. At this age, he would have participated in the construction of Bangabandhu’s Sonar Bangla. With vision 2021, 2030, 2041, Delta Plan, Fourth Industrial Revolution, his sister Bangabandhu worked alongside Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to build a modern, advanced and prosperous Sonar Bangla.

Maybe he would have been a scientist or father of the nation to establish world peace. Or he could have been a symbol of global humanity shining in self-glory like Rortrand Russell.

With the death of Russell, Hon’ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has lost her beloved younger brother and Bangladesh has lost a promising and talented child. Sheikh Russell is the name of love for every child and teenager today, people with a sense of human pain will keep the pain of martyr Sheikh Russell in their hearts and work for children forever. He will live in the hearts of every Bengali as a great child of history.

Professor Dr. Md. Sharfuddin Ahmed, Vice Chancellor Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Shahbagh-Dhaka.