The Touch that Awakens a Father’s Memory: A Night at Chandpur Rotary Club and a Few Teardrops
​Professor Md. Zakir Hossain
​No one among the distinguished dignitaries present could have imagined that the regular weekly general meeting of the Chandpur Rotary Club would transcend its institutional formalities to give birth to such a deeply spiritual and life-oriented narrative. A homely yet grand celebration was organized to mark the auspicious birthday of Gazi Mohsin, the worthy successor of our beloved Rotarian friend, the late Abul Kashem Gazi. Unsurprisingly, the main attraction of the celebration turned out to be the “magic-filled cooking of the daughter-in-law.” However, beneath that delightful culinary arrangement lay a grand epic of subcontinental joint-family culture, discipline, and humanity, which unfolded in an unprecedented moment.
​At one point during the program, when Gazi Mohsin’s wife—our affectionate daughter-in-law—took the microphone to express her feelings and share her journey in her in-laws’ house, a spellbinding silence descended upon the entire auditorium. In this mechanical and self-centered modern era, her every word resonated as a sweet echo of lost family harmony.
​Two Paternal Homes Under One Roof: Testimony of a Blessed Soul
​As she opened the pages of her memories, a profound sense of gratitude radiated from her face. She was saying—
​”This was entirely a traditional family marriage. My elder brother chose the groom, and in our family, no one has the audacity to argue against or defy my elder brother’s decision; neither did I. So, without any hesitation, I agreed wholeheartedly. But stepping into this house after marriage brought an experience that feels like a divine blessing. My father-in-law and mother-in-law never looked at me as a traditional ‘daughter-in-law’ or an outsider. With immense affection and guidance, they raised me just like their own biological daughter. As a result, the typical sense of alienation, hesitation, or distance that people often feel at an in-laws’ house never touched me. This house has always been an extended form of my own father’s home.”
​Paying deep respect and tribute to her husband’s sense of responsibility, she added:
​”Mohsin might appear a bit lively, sociable, or talkative outside; but the moment he steps across the threshold of our home, he is a different person—a deeply grave, mature, and responsible man. He never lets anyone in the family feel a void for anything. It’s not about material needs, but rather emotional ones. Respect, love, or affection—wherever and however much it is due, Mohsin fulfills it abundantly. I prioritized family bonds and discipline at my paternal home, and I have upheld those same family values in my husband’s house.”
​Her voice grew choked with emotion, especially when she reminisced about her late father-in-law:
​”Every day, I pray to Almighty Creator for the salvation of my father-in-law’s soul. He placed me on such an esteemed seat of a daughter that after my marriage, he decorated my bedroom with his own hands. He did it with the exact tenderness a father shows to fulfill his own daughter’s whims. I am one of the most fortunate daughters in the world to have found shelter in another father’s embrace after marriage.”
​A Silent Slap Against Social Degradation
​Hearing this living saga of authentic family bonding, ancient values, strict discipline, and mutual respect from the daughter-in-law, the hearts of seniors like us in the hall were deeply stirred. If we look at today’s decaying society, what do we see? Everywhere, there is family strife, dowry casualties, extramarital affairs, suicides, and the horrific records of loved ones killing their own. The pictures of moral and social degradation that shock us whenever we open the newspapers stem from one single, primary reason—the inner emotional bond of families has been crushed and lost under the grinding wheel of corporate civilization.
​After hearing her idealistic, logical, and intensely emotional speech, the paternal instinct within me awoke involuntarily. A powerful wave of affection and fatherly emotion took over my heart. Therefore, as soon as the meeting ended, without caring for any formality, I walked up to her. Unknowingly, my right hand went over her head in deep affection, and I blessed her from the bottom of my heart.
​The Midnight Telephone Call and the Reflection of Kashem Gazi
​However, the most chilling and heart-touching part of this story was waiting for the dead of night. The clock struck 1:00 AM. Total silence prevailed all around. Suddenly, my mobile phone rang. Mohsin’s name flashed on the screen. As I answered the phone, Mohsin spoke from the other side in an emotion-choked, somewhat strained voice—
​”Uncle, the way you put your hand on my wife’s head and blessed her before coming home after the meeting tonight… she hasn’t been able to hold back her tears since returning home. Moved by that fatherly touch of affection, she has been weeping inconsolably, remembering her late father. She keeps saying, ‘Today it felt as if my father came down from heaven to place his hand on my head.'”
​Hearing Mohsin’s words, my chest went numb, yet filled with an unknown heavenly peace. A tear might have well up in the corner of my eyes too. Our late friend Kashem Gazi Bhai was an exceptionally gentle, amiable, philanthropic, and, in the truest sense, a pure human being. He was a friend very close to my heart. By losing him untimely, our Chandpur Rotary Club lost a true guardian and a man of virtues, just as we personally lost a profound well-wisher.
​Today, after his demise, the brilliance of the high lineage ideals, aristocracy, and family education left behind by Kashem Gazi Bhai shone brightly through every word uttered by his daughter-in-law. It was truly extraordinary. This special night at the Chandpur Rotary Club will remain a living document in our social history, proving that even outside of blood relations, people can be bound together for life solely by an invisible thread of respect, humanity, and affection.
​Rest in peace on the other side, friend Kashem Gazi; the ideals you left behind still illuminate your home today.
Author: Professor Md. Zakir Hossain
Special Representative, Senior Sub-Editor, and Columnist, The Daily Chandpur Kantho.
Information and Research Secretary, Chandpur District BNP.