Residents of Dashiachhara ready to welcome PM Sheikh Hasina

There was a training camp for the Freedom Fighters at Dashiachhara during the War of Liberation. Shamsul Haque joined the war responding to the clarion call of Bangabandhu and taking training from that camp. But he was so luckless that he could not see Bangabandhu. This time he is very happy that he would be able to see his daughter from his house.

Listening to the news of the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, like Shamsul Haque, all the residents of former Dashiachhara are now over the moon. Various preparations and arrangements are going on at Dashiachhara to welcome the Prime Minister.

The women of the enclave are also eagerly waiting to have a glimpse of their beloved Prime Minister. Akila, Fatema and Sayeeda, all the inhabitants of the enclave, said they saw the Prime Minister on television. This time they would see her in their own eyes. So they are counting the days.

The Prime Minister is set to visit the defunct enclave on October 15, two and a half months after the enclave was linked with the mainland of Bangladesh ending 68-year deprivation of its residents. Side by side with welcoming the Prime Minister, the former enclave residents are also ready with various demands for development.

Official sources said the Prime Minister is scheduled to arrive at the helipad of Fulbari upazila headquarters at 9.30 am on October 15. Then she would go to Dashiachhara by road and address a "Sudhi Samabesh" (public rally), inaugurate a power distribution programme and lay the foundation stone of Mujib-Indira Union Parishad Complex.

The enclave people said they would place various demands including establishment of educational institutions, hospital and fire service station before the Prime Minister.

Mozaffar Hossain, a resident of Dashiachhara, said: "We know that the hunger of the enclave people for the 68 years won't end overnight ... thereafter we will place demand for nationalization of some schools, colleges and madrasas as well as setting up hospital and fire service station."

The festival began on August 1, the day when the enclave people had become the residents of Bangladesh ending their 68-year deprivation. Before the fading away of the sign of that festival, the people of the enclave are now overwhelmed as they would get the Prime Minister by their side unexpectedly.

Monir Hossain, a resident of Dashiachhara, said: "Bangabandhu liberated Bangladesh, while her daughter gave us freedom. For this we have given Sheikh Hasina the honour like mother. Naturally, there will be entreaty of the children to see their mother and there will be demands."

Pavel Hossain, a young man of Dashiachhara, said: "They would receive their dear Prime Minister by showering flower petals standing beside roads."

While making on-the-spot visit to Dashiachhara, BSS District Correspondent Abdul Khalek Faruk saw a festive look in the village centering the visit of the Prime Minister. Necessary preparations including development and repair of roads are underway round-the-clock.

The development work on the road from Gangarhat to Kalirhat is going on, while nearby roads have been widened through filling up soil. The work on installing power connection has been completed and the BTCL has set up telephone and internet connections.

Over a hundred archways have been erected from Fulbari to Dashiachhara to welcome Sheikh Hasina. The government officials and leaders of Awami League are supervising the preparatory works to make the Prime Minister's visit successful.

Bangladesh and India, the two next-door neighbours, exchanged enclaves on the midnight of July 31 as part of the process of implementing the historic Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) of 1974.

With the execution of LBA signed by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Indira Gandhi, all Indian enclaves inside Bangladesh became land of Bangladesh, while Bangladeshi enclaves in India are now considered Indian land from the midnight of July 31.