In Memoriam
A patriot passes away
Shamim Huq
When she spent a summer with me in 1982, Houston was in a deep recession. She had come to help me through my separation from first wife and my loss of job during the downturn of early '80's. She worked at the Baylor College of Medicine as an intern, awaiting her GRE results after she had finished her undergraduate work at State University of New York at Purchase. While here she developed close bond to my children and helped me through.Later, when her GRE results came out, while she was in Dhaka -- I got an eager phone call from UC Berkeley's famed Nutrition Science Department. They wanted her in their school. Nasreen or Happy as well as called her wanted to study nutrition. We argued the benefits of her going to Engineering School in the path of my father and me. She politely and firmly said no. Her cause was that of pregnant malnourished women o Bangladesh. Still, I was a skeptic but did not push her. She was firm and determined. So when some years later, she finished school at UC Berkeley I suggested to her again that through her intern work at Baylor -- who were quite fond of her that she could easily, as indicated to me, put her in their nutrition programme. This of course would mean a nice cushy life in suburbia, USA. She was quite adamant and would not only exercise her immigrant status, but would let it expire. She went to Bangladesh and worked in the villages studying and schooling better nutrition to pregnant mothers. This was her passion and her calling -- service to the poor and needy. Following the footsteps of my other sister, Shireen. Nasreen lived simply and never tried to look pretty, just a simple cotton sari with no jewelry. Serving the people was her calling and her only adornment. When some years back ActionAid of Britain recruited her for the position of Country Director of Bangladesh, they remarked that they wanted Nasreen for a long time. She worked hard with many days and nights of long hours. Some years ago, I had a friend call me on a weekend that Nasreen appeared with Connie Chung in 20/20, the news show. The attention was brought on by her work to bring justice and treatment to the victims of acid burn. When I asked her what Ms. Chung thought of her work. She remarked Ms. Chung thought of her own work was insignificant in comparison to Nasreen's contributions. I recall her tour through the US universities on behalf of acid burn victims and Amnesty International. She was consistently articulate and intelligent in her responses. She never sought glory for herself; instead she always shone a bright light with the problems that afflicted our society. It is with deep sorrow and a very heavy heart that I part with her. I headed for Dhaka to lay her remains next to where my brother was laid. My mother had to endure the passing of my father when all of her children were studying abroad and then her son, my elder brother at age 46 the same age as of Nasreen in about the same dates back in 1991. Ours has been a family that followed and lived their ideals. My sister, Nasreen out did us all. My father a man of great integrity and passion showed us the path and our mother a quiet intellectual allowed us to find our own way. To all young folks who seek glory -- take a page from Happy's life. And if you find your calling in serving people you will have found the highest -- remember this little girl from Bangladesh, who endured so much to show a path that is far brighter than any we lesser humans have traversed. Dear sister, when my time comes please be there for me when I cross the bar. I will miss you till then.
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