Opinion: The brave heart

There are few people who would have risked their own lives to save the life of another, the way Badal Mia, a technical assistant of the Bangladesh Railway did last Friday. He was working with a group of technicians carrying out maintenance work of the railway tracks near the Kuril Biswa Road when he saw a little girl crossing with her mother while a train was approaching. Without a second thought Badal ran to the child and shoved her out of danger while the speeding train knocked him over; he died instantly.

While his selfless act of bravery has been praised by everyone and has received a lot of publicity, the harsh reality is that the death of Badal Mia, the main breadwinner of the household, has brought about hardship and uncertainty on his 12 family members. Badal Mia was part of a joint family and although some of its members have employment, a large part of the expenses was borne by him.

Badal’s grieving widow Aysha Khatun is worried whether she will be able to educate her youngest son. Her elder sons could not go to school because their parents could not afford it. They had thought they would at least be able to send the youngest to school but that dream has been snatched away by this tragedy.

Badal Mia’s sacrifice is truly inspiring and shows how humanity manifests itself in apparently the most ordinary people. But Badal Mia was not ordinary, his instinctive urge to save another life without a thought for his own survival, made him an extraordinary individual. Surely such a heroic act should be awarded in some way. The government can recognise Badal Mia’s bravery by helping his family financially and making sure his son can fulfill his parents’ dream.