Recalling the birth of her youngest brother Sheikh Russell, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, daughter of Bangabandhu, said, "She was the jewel in our eyes." For everyone, for every brother and sister, this joy cannot be described in words.
This was stated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a commemorative speech aired on Bangladesh Television on the 58th birthday of Sheikh Russell, the youngest son of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu.
The Prime Minister said that Russell was born at such a time that it was half past two in the middle of the night on the 17th. Our eldest Fufu, second Fufu were at our house then. When we got the news of his birth, our joy knew no bounds.
She said, "The first time I took her in my arms, his head was full of thick black, I had a scarf on my body. I wiped his body with that scarf. While I tried to comb his thick black hair my Fufu said it does not have to be combed, the skin will go up. Since then he has been the jewel in our eyes. For everyone, for every brother and sister, this joy cannot be described in words.
Sheikh Hasina said, "We were so happy and we used to play with him all the time. He was slowly growing up. We used to take a picture of him every week." I also made two albums. That changes, especially a picture every three months. And he was our most cherished all the time.
"We brothers and sisters were always busy with him," she said. His walking and sitting. He has learned one thing at a time, everything is with us. To be a little naughty with him, to caress him a little we were with him everything all the time. Our passion was to take Russell in our arms before we washed our hands after school. Again taking Russell in her arms before leaving. It felt like a toy doll in our hands. Every one of us brothers and sisters was always very busy for him.
Highlighting Bangabandhu's love for Sheikh Russell, Sheikh Hasina said he was born in October 1964. In May of 1966 when my father gave 6 points. Then he was very busy. When Fatima Jinnah started campaigning for the election, he was arrested again. He was taken prisoner for a while, then got released. He was actually so busy giving 6 points. But holding Russell's bottle of milk in his hand every night while Russell sleeps, feeding him. Abba tried very hard, was interested.
The Prime Minister said that he (Russell) did not get much from his father. When my father was arrested after 6 points in '66, he was only young, he learned to walk, he learned to speak, he had to show up in jail. He did not want to accept it at all. He used to cry and then he could not speak well. The day we came back from prison we would see him not sleeping, we would sit in bed and cry. Why he was crying could not be understood.
She said he wanted all our brothers and sisters to come to him. So Kamal-Jamal-Rehana all used to sit around him. We stopped crying, and saw him. He couldn't even say that he was crying for his father. But we could understand his crying, his pain. When he grew up, my mother used to say, you call me Abba. Russel started calling my mother Abba.
Sheikh Hasina said that Russell was very repressed. He would cry, the tears in his eyes, if we saw him he would not say what fell in his eyes. He did not want to admit anything. He never said that he was crying for everyone, that he wanted everyone.
Highlighting Sheikh Russell's relationship with Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the Prime Minister said it was a bit normal when Joy was born in July ‘71. He is very happy with the small Joy. During the liberation war he used to collect cotton and keep it in his pocket. Whenever there was an air attack, he would immediately take a little cotton and give it to Joy's ear. He would also give it to his own ears. Russell was always very careful.
Wishing all the children of Bangladesh to be happy with their parents, brothers and sisters, Sheikh Hasina said, "I always want our children to have a good life with their parents, brothers and sisters." And no child should be hungry. No child dies from disease. May everyone's life become beautiful. Everyone's life is meaningful, they become meaningful human beings. That's what I want.