Madhur Canteen (Madhu’s Canteen) is witness to all the run-up movements to our glorious Independence. There is no way we can put it out when writing history about the birth of Bangladesh.

Students of Dhaka University had been at the forefront of all the movements and Madhur Canteen served as the quintessential gathering place for them all.

It all started from the language movement in 1948 and culminated in the movement that resulted from the refusal of 1970 elections results going in disfavour of the Pakistani rulers.

In fact this refusal by the Pakistani rulers ultimately made the Bangalees realise that they would never get political and economic emancipation while in the integrated Pakistan.

Before and after every movement, the student leaders and activists used to gather at Madhur Canteen as they had an affectionate man called Madhu Da there in the canteen. Madhu Da had a permanent place in their heart.

The leaders like Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Ataur Rahman Khan and Shah Aziz used to come here and spend hours over tea.

It is said that Madhu Da had a ledger named Na Diye Udhao in which the names of these leaders were found with many other names. He used to visit these leaders’ houses to collect his dues.

On most of the occasions, he did not get his dues. Still he used to be in a cheerful mood as he enjoyed visiting these leaders’ houses.

He was simple, frank and friendly with every student. He was also as conscious as a political analyst with his long presence among the student leaders.

The students loved and respected Madhu Da. They used to listen to his diatribes when he started talking on any political issue.

Mahdu Da rose above the stature of a canteen operator in the eye of the students as they felt he was one of them. He was never very careful about maintaining how much students owed him.

Sometimes, students joked with him, saying, “Madhu Da, you charge extra.” Then Madhu Da euphemistically said, “Why say so? Rather, give me less when you pay all the dues. Is it possible to keep correct accounts of all dues?”

Thus came the fateful night of 25 March in 1971, when Pakistani occupation forces cracked down on the Dhaka University campus and were engaged in an orgy of killing teachers, students and employees.

Madhu Da, his wife, their eldest son and daughter-in-law were inhumanly killed on the morning of 26 March in front of their son Arun Kumar Dey, who is now the director of Madhur Canteen.

Talking to daily sun, Arun said, “They had brutally killed my parents, eldest brother Ranjit Kumar Dey and sister-in-law. My brother and his wife were the first victims.”

“My sister Ranu Roy received two bullets – one had pierced through her jaws and another through a side of her chest. She fell down to the ground. As they accosted my father, my pregnant mother tried to cover him, pleading with them not to kill him. But, they did not bother and started firing.”

“My mother died instantly while my father fell to the ground with one bullet hitting him on one of his hands and another in the leg. They later went out.”

But about an hour later, they returned and dragged Mahdu Da to Jagannath Hall ground where he was killed, he added.

Since then, Arun Kumar Dey, almost as popular with the students as his father, has been running the canteen.

Asked why he took up his father’s profession, he answered candidly, “I took up the profession out of respect for my father.”

The canteen still buzzes with general students, student leaders and activists without Madhu Da.

MADHUDA’S FAMILY PROFILE:

Madhu Sudan Dey, known as Madhu Da, is now survived by his eight sons and daughters. His sons include Arun Kumar Dey, Adhir Kumar Dey and Babul Dey and his daughters are Anima Dey, Sushoma Dey, Pratibha Das, Purnima Ghosh and Arati Das.

Anima is married having five sons. One of her sons studied in the department of finance at Dhaka University. He is now a banker.

Sushoma Dey is married having two sons and two daughters. She along with her family has been living in India since the Independence War.

Pratibha Das is married having one son and a daughter. The son is now studying at a secondary school while the daughter is working at a private university.

Purnima Ghosh is married having one son and a daughter, both studying at the moment. They are all settled in the USA.

Arun Kumar Dey is married having one son and a daughter. Both the children are now studying at an English medium school.

Adhir Kumar Dey along with his family is now living in the United States.

Babul Dey, a former finance graduate from Dhaka University, is now working at the Southeast Bank.

(The writer is a political science graduate from the University of Dhaka. )