1994: I was about seven years old. I got in class two. I learned all the letters of Bengali and English alphabets. I could count 1 to 100 in Bengali and 1-50 in English. I could not read through Bengali; I could not spell any words, except my name, my father name and my mother name. I was not a good student. I did not like going to school; I liked playing with kids and hanging out with my friends. My father bought me a battery systemized toy car. I liked playing with the car all day long. My friend Billal was not going to school anymore; his parents got him admitted in a Madrasha to make him a Hafez (a Hafez is one who memorized the whole Quran, not necessary to understand the Quran, just memorization!). If any parents can make their son as a Hafez, then their Jannat (Heaven) is granted by Allah; not only that, a Hafez will be able to get 70 more of his closest relatives in Heaven. A Hafez is a very honorable person; because he has memorized the words of Allah. Since Billal was not going to school anymore, so I stopped going to school for few days; I started going to Madrasha. Almost all others kids of our Bari started going to Madrasa to be a Hafez. My mom made me free- either to go to Madrasha or to school; but my father wanted me to read in school. One day, the Hujurs brought us in a rally against a woman;her name is Taslima Nasrin. The Hujurs said- 'Taslima Nasin is a Khankimagi (a whore), she is a Besshamagi (a prostitute), how dare her to mock about our beloved prophet Mohammed (pbuh). Taslima Nasrin should be hung publically until death, because she says- men and women should have equal right about everything; if a man can have multiple wives at a time, then why not a woman can have multiple husbands at a time- these are the really words of Satan. Later someday, I asked my dad- what’s wrong with Taslima Nasrin, Dad. He said- Taslima Nasrin got mad, when a person knows too much then there is a possibility to be mad; she knows the whole Quran in Bangla, in English and in Arabic, she is a doctor of Dhaka medical- knowing too much made her crazy! She has been exiled from Bangladesh. I did not understand my dad very well; if a person knows too much then why there is possibility to be crazy?.
I went to Madrasha about a week, then I felt the Madrasha is basically a torturing cell; the hujurs torture the kids beastly. I came back to my primary school; but going to Muktobkhana was mandatory early in the morning. I hated going to Muktobkhana too early in the morning; Hujur used to beating us with or without any reason. He said—if he beats us then the Satan or Iblish would not be able to touch us; we would be safe from Satan.
My father income was relatively good; he bought some land of crops. My parents made a four shaded house- made of tin and wood; it was very expensive house in term of our village economy of that time. Having new house made my parents more prestigious in our village. That time there was only one television in our village, it was in ‘Boro Bari’—south side of our Bari; they could not accommodate the all the folks of their Bari to watch television, so people from other Bari didn’t have the chance to watch television; but people were crazy of watching television. My eldest sister Yesmin and her friends used to going to ‘Boro Bari’ each Friday to watch Bangla cinema- sometimes they had chance, sometimes they did not; I wanted to go with them, but they did not like to keep me with them. My father decided to buy a television to watch world cup 1994, so he bought a 17" black and white television; having television made our family so prestigious in the village, the villagers started to see our family as a rich family. When world cup foot ball was started, we could not accommodate all the people in our house. So we had to set our television in our yard. People used to sitting in the yard spreading some straws to watch world cup foot ball.
1995: I was about eight years old, I got in class three. I did not sit for any examination in class one and two, but from class three- I had to. My immediate elder sister Shilpi was supposed to get in class four, but she was not promoted, because she failed in all subject in final examination. my eldest sister Yesmin got in class eight. My parents were too worried thinking that none of their children is a good student. My parents decided to keep a house master for us, so that we can be good student. Keeping a house master requires anther house, so my parents built anther two shaded house- made of tin, bamboo and wood; we called it ‘khachari ghor’. Then my parents assigned a house master- his name is Mizanur Rahman, we called him Mizan Sir; he was an English teacher of our high school. He was not given any money, giving him food three times a day was his payment, and he used to living in our ‘kachari ghor’. Having house master in our home made me read more and more than before. Gradually, I was becoming good student. My house master taught me how to write English- I mean the range of upper scale and lower scale of English letter, he made me memorizing the name of seven days in English and writing down. I remember, no one could say and write the name of seven days in English in our class three- except me. My father too used to teaching me; whenever he was in home, I liked my father teaching.
In my first term examination of class three I wrote my name Md. Al-Islam Bhuiyan on my answer script; my class teacher said that I made mistake in spelling my name; he said- your name is Md. Anisul Islam. I got wonder! I did not face any situation writing my name in class one and two; my name was written in the file of my class teacher. I understood the matter, when I got admitted myself in class one- I said My name is Md. Al-Islam Bhuiyan, the teacher heard it Md. Anisul Islam Bhuiyan- he erased the Bhuiyan to make the name shorter; Al-Islam is not typical name, that’s why he heard it Anisul Islam which is somewhat typical. I don’t know why, but I did not change my name; I liked the name the teacher had written. I was not bother about my name; I was known with my name ‘Babu’
My elder sister Shilpi was transferred to Maligaon primary school, so that she could bring launch for our house master. Since, Mizan sir lived in our house so almost all the teacher of our high school used to coming in our house at night to meet with him; actually their intension was to watch television; moreover they were given some snacks and tea from our family.
This year a horribly memorable accident was happened with my elder sister Shilpi, she was attacked by Jinn (Jinn means unseen sprit/guest, made of fire; They are servants of Allah and they will also be accounted for their deeds in the final judgment day- as mentioned in Quran). If anyone disbelieves in Jinn, she/he would be considered as a Kafir (atheist); since Jinn is mentioned in Quran. That day, I and my mom went to my Nanu-Bari (my maternal grandma’s village- 20 miles away from our village); my two elder sisters were at home to look over our house and pets. That night, at about 2 or 3 am my paternal cousin Giasuddin vai (vai means brother) had come to our Nanu Bari and knocked the door; it was stormy night. I remember, I got awaked hearing the sound of his knocking; my mom opened the door; seeing Giasuddin vai, my mom got shocked and frightened, she sensed- something bad has been happened with her daughters; she started crying. My mom asked Giasuddin vai- what’s happened Giasuddin? Why are you here in this odd time? He said noting to my mom. Then my Nanu (Grandma) had come and asked him- what’s happened Giasuddin, why did you come here at late night, is there any bad news? He replied- Nanu, Shilpi has been victim of Jinn, now it is not sure whether she will live or not… My mom was crying aloud, she wanted to go back to our home right that time. My Nanu said- you will not find any vehicle in this late night, moreover, it is very close to morning, so it would be better leaving after Fozor Namaz (Morning Prayer). We went back to our village at morning; reaching at our home, we saw her somewhat in good, she was in sense. My sister Shilpi had been senseless for about 10 hours; no medical treatment was given her, she was given Kobiraji (Shamanic) treatment. Kobiraj (the shaman) is one who has the spiritual power, Kobiraj used to reciting some Quranic verses or something else called ‘Montro’; after reciting some ‘verses’ or ‘montro’ the Kobiraj breaths into a glass of water, then through the water on the face of patient. Some Kobiraj used to beating and torturing the patient of Jinn victim; they say- they torture the Jinn not the patient; if they torture the patient then the Jinn will never come again to attack the patients. By the randomness of nature, my sister Shilpi survived by the Kobiraji ill-treatment. Later on, I knew that how she was attacked by Jinn-- it was shiny summer noon, the temperature was too high; she was playing and rushing too much, then she climbed up top of a mango tree to have some mango- getting down from the mango tree, she started shrinking, her mouth got closed; no one could open her mouth. Then some of our neighbors brought her into our house and called the Kobiraj (The shaman). Our villagers believed or still believe that no doctor or medical treatment is needed in this situation- except Kobiraji (shamanic) treatment. That day at night my father had come from Dhaka, seeing the situation, my dad asked my mom- why not you called the doctor. My mom said- she was attacked by Jinn; what would doctor do? My father got speechless, then he called a village doctor; the doctor gave some medicine for her- by the treatment of doctor my sister got fully cured within two days.
That time I did not know that the Jinn could be the toxic air flow of summer noon or some air floating toxic virus!