Md Nazrul Islam Khan popularly known as N I Khan born in a picturesque village bounded by natural horse shoe shaped lake, which facilitate diversity of flora and fauna. Those natural setting creates an inherent love on plants and animal, which he nurtures throughout his life. Every breeding season turtles visits on the bank of ‘Khajurar Baor’ to lay dozens of eggs just 10 yards from his house. Reptiles (gui snakes) visits his baor facing room through punctured planked wall (bera). Still you can see it in the vicinity with much less frequency and size. Poisonous snakes (Kandol) wondered the thatched roof, lizards managed to survive even after allowing to thrive snakes. Once a Kandol snake put its frontal part inside leaving tail portion outside a bamboo ‘pair’ of thatched roof, he was narrowly escaped Kandol bite while cut the lower half portion with a sickle. Sparrow made their comfortable home architecting thatched roof: cheeks peeping through the hole cautiously watched by their parents. In the midst of communal protests of their parents and neighbours, quite often he took out cheeks and caress only to put back on their home.
He was conferred with ‘Taroni Jalia’ title by a neighbouring aunt called ‘poddar ma’ following an apt fisherman of ugly look. He was apt in fishing, catches more fish than any other of his contemporary. He knit (‘khapla jal) fishing net for on his own. He could find out ‘foloi’ nest beneath the water besides aquatic gramanie sensing with toe and foot. He used to catch ‘shoal’ and ‘taki’ with ‘thopa’ a kind of device to catch fish at that time. He also used ‘borsa, to catch fish.
All these put an indelible impression on his tender mind. He has not been eating wild meat like migratory birds, persuade not to kill wild life even if it is poisonous snakes. He has been president of ‘Conservation of Endangered Plants and Animal Foundation.
His mother orphaned at a tender age, had about a dozen siblings from respected family. She was also strict as usual at that time. She could not fulfilled her dream and wanted to achieve through her issues. Khan was taken special case not to go to astray. Mother routinely smelled khans mouth and judged brushed or not. She used her rough finger as brush and charcoal pest to clean the teeth- some times painful. Quite often tale a lie to avoid mother’s finger brush but was in vain.
However, as eldest son of his family has to assist farming father. Help spin the rope of dozens of cows, assisting using ‘somaji’ to repair thatched roof as a preparation for rainy and stormy season. Fetch breakfast with a cane bowl called ‘Dhama’ such as ‘panta Vat and Date Molasses, ‘Rice pudding and Molasses’ to the field where labourer works during amon plantation of rainy season. During winter prepare ‘Jali’ for harvested paddy plants for easy transport to the backyard for threshing etc. Sometimes he is to go to twice weekly ‘ Rajgonj Hat’ to buy ‘Kerosin’, vegetables round trip require travel to 6 miles on foot on muddy road during rainy season. Sometimes, kerosine contaminates vegetables and other food item purchased. At that time there was no plastic bottle, only fragile glass bottle. His father was a strict disciplinarian and great teacher believed in learning by doing with little brief. All these was unpalatable to a child like him. His child life was marinated by nature, strictly guarded by parents and loved by neighbours.
School life was eventful, baked brick mud mortar building collapsed every rainy season and students construct fan palm school house every season. In fact most students were over aged for primary and they arrange all these. Teachers also having cane on the classroom but Khan never experienced perhaps it was for aged pupils. There was art class to prepare art work from mud, drawing classes as well. Teachers guided moslem students like hards to the ‘Baor’ for ablution as a preparation for prayer. There was regular drama; at one occassion Khan was played as son of another student called Liakot Chacha. Villagers use to mention it while on the road. Teachers were mostly from same Thana.
Of the earliest teacher Habibur Rahman was head Teacher he was called ‘Pagla Hobib’ because of bad temper. After him Shamsuddin Ahmed From Chondipur was our Head Teacher. He was family friend throughout his life. His son in law an Education Cadre Professor was met Khan while Education Secretary. He has half a dozen daughter all good student. One of the daughter Suraya is a medical Doctor. Second Teacher Tushar Kanti was young and student friendly. he was more devoted to teaching learning. I met him while he was fleeing Pakistani Solder to India. Third Teacher Monmotho Nath Chakraborty third teacher was especially funny. He might have reumatism, used ‘noshi’ a type of tobacco inhale . He used to ask Khan for Bats, it was believed that Bat meat reduces rheumatic pain. Khan along with his maternal cousin Salauddin Khan (Juno) went out in winter to hunt bats. Use net to obstruct fly path and to do that learnt that bat has a very sharp teeth can cut away the entire finger of a child. He learnt to hit on the head when trapped which latter put an indelible impression not to kill wild animal. The Teacher was a great consumer of Turtle eggs, Khan used to search in the appropriate season for turtle eggs since his parents did not allowed to do that. He had double jeopardy on the one hand appease teacher on the other hand fear of father.
The pedagogical methodology used was wrote learning, teachers use to read lessons as if they were students. Class was manageable since number of students were less than a score. Teachers assigned home task but little or no check back. The word feedback was a recent phenomenon in the education arena become popular with ICT. Annual and half yearly exam were there like now but there was no feedback from the exam papers of final or six monthly exam. Without feedback how a learner learn further? Teacher absenteeism particularly in rainy seasons were prevalent. Even, now road is metalled but no significant difference; here has been little changes for the last six decades. However, huge progress in enrolment and dropout.
