Our Mission

Raise $40000 for Tipu Medical Fund

Background:

On the night of 15 January 2001, a gang of men associated with local
Member of Parliament (MP) Jainal Abedin Hazari, of the ruling,
Bangladesh Awami League, destroyed the newly built Sultana Memorial
Junior Girls School in Feni. The MP allegedly got angry with the
school management when he was not invited as chief guest to
inaugurate the school. As district correspondent of UNB, Tipu Sultan
reported the incident and this was widely published in daily
newspapers. On 25 January, after 9 days of circulation in the news,
Tipu Sultan paid a dear personal price. He was abducted by thugs of a
powerful lawmaker from Feni, beaten very badly to the point where his
abductors left him for dead, and the local police blatantly refused
to even accept filing of a complaint on his behalf until the High
court intervened and directed the Feni police to accept the complaint.

Incident:

Armed men abducted Tipu and unleashed violent assaults on him on
January 25,
2001, beating him mercilessly with iron rods, hockey sticks and
baseball bats. His injuries included: crushed bones in his left arm
(radius and ulna); multiple fractures in bones of his left palm and
flesh attached to these bones ripped off at places; fractures in both
little and fore fingers in his right hand and dislocated joints in-
between; broken bone in his left ankle and neck, and dislocated
joint; and severely damaged flesh in between knee and ankle in his
right leg.

Doctors at Pangu Hospital - Bangladesh's National Orthopaedic
Hospital -- have exhausted all their means and know-how and declared
that nothing further can be done locally for Tipu. The only recourse
left for him now is to be treated abroad at the earliest in a
specialized Orthopedic Facility. It is estimated that this would
cost about US$40,000. Despite assurances from different quarters,
including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, funds have not been
forthcoming from the government. It is not surprising that Tipu was
exposing the excesses of a lawmaker from the governing party.

Initiative:

Under the circumstances, two Bangladesh dailies Prothom Alo and Daily
Star have taken the fundraising initiative to, not only help Tipu
Sultan, but also to send a strong message to the gangsters that their
efforts at silencing honest journalism will be futile. Two non-
resident Bangladeshis have started coordinating this effort in the US
and at the end of the fund raising will send the money to the Prohom-
Alo fund. Bangladeshi-American Foundation(BAFI) has volunteered to
sponsor this drive and to accept tax-deductible contributions from US
residents.


How you can help:

Tipu's chance of survival and return to normal professional life now
solely depends upon his well-wishers and fellow citizens of
Bangladesh, including us, the Non-Resident Bangladeshis, who can
actually make a big difference just by donating a day's income. We,
therefore, implore you in all earnestness to come forward with your
contribution to the rescue of this dauntless soul who risked his life
for the greater interest of Bangladesh.

Please act fast as we are racing against time! Donations can be
mailed directly to The Daily Star Prothom Alo Tip Sultan Treatment by
wire to:

Savings Account Number 25002111
Dhaka Bank Ltd
Karwan Bazar Branch
Dhaka , Bangladesh.

Alternatively, you may send a check to BAFI, write Tipu under memo
item and mail it to:

Asif Saleh
Coordinator, Tipu Sultan Fund
238 8th st #1L
Brooklyn NY 11215

If you need a receipt, indicate this to us. Also, let us know if you
have objection to having your name published as a contributor in
Bangladesh dailies.