Helal Mia, 65, a resident of Rajghar village in Natai Uttar union of Brahmanbaria Sadar upazila, has been visually impaired since birth. Eight members of his family, including his children and grandchildren, are also visually impaired. The family survives solely on the income earned by singing on the pavement in front of the municipal open stage in Brahmanbaria town.
The visually impaired family members who earn their living through singing include Helal Mia’s son Sadek Mia, 45, daughter Khairunnesa, 40, sons Faruk Mia, 30, Tarek Mia, 25, and Barek Mia, 20, granddaughter Roksana, 16, grandson Mostakim, 11, and grandson Mujahid, 10.
However, the family has fallen into severe distress after madrasa students reportedly stopped them from singing and told them to beg instead. With their only source of income abruptly cut off, the impoverished family has barely been able to eat for the past week. With no alternative livelihood in sight, they have remained confined to their home.
Upon learning of their situation, prominent intellectual and poet Farhad Mazhar extended support to the family. He sent a sack of food items, including rice, lentils and oil. Former municipal commissioner Shariful Islam delivered the items to Helal Mia’s home on his behalf.
Since the country’s independence, the blind singer has earned his living by performing on the pavement near the municipal open stage. Except on Fridays, he goes there every morning, sings for around three hours and returns home at noon with whatever he earns that day.
On 26 November, around 12:45pm, he and his family members were performing as usual when they heard the sound of a procession. They stopped singing, packed their instruments and sat quietly. Soon afterwards, several madrasa students from the procession came to the spot and threatened to destroy their instruments if they continued singing. Terrified by the threat, the family has not returned to the open stage since.
“We are believers in Islam. We pray regularly,” Helal Mia said. “My family and I have been singing on the pavement in the old Kachari area for 50 years. We gather people by singing, and whatever they give, we survive on. Some days we earn a thousand taka, some days less, sometimes more.”
“We do not sing anything against Islam, nor do we follow baul philosophy,” he added. “We have informed BNP’s Kochi Bhai, Zahir Bhai and other responsible leaders about the matter. We hope they will help find a solution.”
“We are hopeful that we can return to the open stage, sing again and receive financial support from people. We have no other means of survival. If we cannot sing, all of us will die without food,” he said.
Former district BNP president and former mayor Hafizur Rahman Molla Kochi said he was aware of the matter. “When I was mayor, I arranged for him to sing at the open stage,” he said. “If blind singer Helal comes to perform again, we will station people there to stand guard; hopefully no one will obstruct him,” he added.
Principal of Brahmanbaria Jamia Islamia Yunusia Madrasa and district Hefazat-e-Islam president Mubarak Ullah said he knew nothing about the incident and had not been informed by any students. He said that around six months ago, a similar issue had arisen, and at that time Helal was asked to perform Gajal or Hamd-naat instead of songs.
Regarding the incident going viral on Facebook, he said, “Many things go viral on Facebook without any basis.”
Shariful Islam, former municipal councillor and organiser of Brahmanbaria Bhab Baithaki, said the helpless blind family has been earning its living by singing on pavements for years. “I believe singing to earn a living is more honourable than begging,” he said.
He added that others, like Farhad Mazhar, should also come forward to support the family. “BNP leaders are working to resolve the issue. Hopefully, the visually impaired family will soon be able to return to the municipal open stage and sing again.”
