Are You Listening

Bangladesh

Kamar Ahmad Simon

“Let the embankment finish, we shall build it all again…” Rakhi tells her 5 years old son Rahul. By the river Vodra, there lies their address for last two years… on the dyke, once a road. Since the last tidal surge wiped away all their land & belonging, Rakhi (27), Soumen (32) & Rahul (6) and took refuge with the community without knowing how long they may have to stay!
For Rakhi this isn’t a question of embankment, rather it’s about securing a dignified future for her son. In her small world between the school and the makeshift, she dreams of a life secure & content. But it is not the case for Soumen; his ambition “to be someone” worries Rakhi. She can feel it isn’t the same man she fell in love with. Standing in the queue for the monthly supply hurts his ego… he studied civil engineering from the local government polytechnic. His dream was already shattered with no job for years and after the tidal surge he is nothing but an outnumbered ‘destitute’! But what does that mean? He gets into heated debate with the local government representative in the corner tea-stall. The tea stall is the meeting place for all the community, either for water or for election. This is the centre where the community meets every morning & evening; sharing all their time in joy or anguish.

Rahul has his own fan following, Dipa (6) and Protim (5). With the speeding motorbikes on the road, they play with their hand-made cart on the narrow strip. For them, this dyke has been their playground for the last two years. In their small world they follow all the happenings around, from re-construction to the tigers grabbing men away in the woods. Yet life goes on in search of a tomorrow, where children prepare for their exam, young gets married, couple gives birth and some bid farewell forever.

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