She was a nine years old girl in 1971. At her tender age, she – Simen Hussain Rimi, MP of Bangladesh – along with her mother and her three siblings embarked on a tenacious journey from Dhala for Tripura. They entered Tripura through Boxanagar and reached Sonamura SDM office crossing the forested areas.
Her mother, Jahura Tajuuddin revealed their identities to the then SDM Padmashree Himangshu Mohan Choudhury – Jahura Tajuddin was the wife of Bangladesh’s first Prime Minister Tajuddin Mohamad and the nine-year old girl is today’s MP of Bangladesh Simen Hussain Rimi. Jahura Tajuddin and other family members were in unaware about whereabouts of Tajudding Ahmed. Amidst tension, they stayed at the SDO’s quarter one night and a day before being airlifted to Kolkata via Agartala.
As Bangladesh is celebrating the 50th years of Independence, Simen Rimi did not miss the opportunity to meet retired SDM, Himangshu Mohan Choudhury and the present SDM office at Sonamura. She reached Agartala in a two-day visit on Wednesday. And, as expected, she paid a visit to Himangshu Mohan Choudhury and met him who gave her ‘fatherly affection’ when they took shelter at his quarter in 1971.
Her journey down the memory lane took to Sonamura on Thursday. She went to the SDO quarter and became emotional – “50 years ago, we were living in Bangladesh like refugees in our own country under Pak military regime. To escape the atrocities of Pak army and to save life, we came to Tripura facing a lot of difficulties”, Simen Rimi recalled.
Earlier, she went to meet Swapan Bhattacharjee who received ‘Mukti Yuddha Maitri Sanman’ and met him at latter’s Udaipur residence today. While going to Sonamura, she stopped near Palatana Project – There were Mukti Yuddha Camps in this area and adjoining areas, she said and slipped into the past memories. Today evening she left for her country.