PHOTOS: SHEIKH MEHEDI MORSHED

RAKSHANDA RAHMAN MISHA

Cancer does not only attack the body; it slowly drains the soul. It pulls patients and their families into a daily battle, watching a loved one fight for life while the disease relentlessly tries to take everything away. Each day becomes a test of endurance, patience, and hope.

For those with financial means, there is at least a fragile possibility of treatment and care. But for those who cannot afford the fight, the suffering feels endless. Their lives are marked by uncertainty, pain, and the quiet fear of being left without options.

For them, a ray of hope arrives through Alok Nibash, an initiative of BANCAT, Bangladesh’s first holistic cancer care home. Alok Nibash provides free treatment, accommodation, counselling, and emotional support for patients and their families. It is more than a shelter; it is a space of dignity and compassion. Founded by Najmus Ahmed Albab, himself a cancer survivor, the initiative grew from his determination to ensure that financial hardship does not decide who gets to fight cancer.

On Saturday night, BANCAT created a space where pain could finally speak. Through kabbo sangeet, poetry, and storytelling, untold emotions found voice. The audience included survivors bearing their scars with courage, families still fighting beside loved ones, and those living with irreversible loss. Together, they shared stories of love, loss, fear, and resilience. It was not merely a cultural event, but a collective act of healing.

Mahzabin Ferdous, General Secretary of BANCAT, hosted the event by introducing the guests. The first to take the stage were Jeetu Ahsan and Kishi Tahnin, who narrated moving stories of cancer patients. The struggles and pain of these families brought tears to everyone’s eyes.

Dr Zobaida Akhter, originally scheduled to narrate a poem, instead read a heartfelt piece dedicated to her mother—an open letter to her dearest mother.

Rabindra Sangeet exponent Mahnaz Karim was to perform, but she became deeply emotional hearing the stories of cancer patients. She is a mother of a cancer survivor herself. She shared memories of her son’s diagnosis in 2011 and the long journey that followed. Despite her struggle, she moved the audience with renditions of Sokatore Oi Kadiche Sokole and Bhalobese Sokhi Nibhrite .

Fahim Hossain Chowdhury followed with renditions of Akash Bhora Surjo Tara and Neel Akasher Niche Ei Prithibi .

Professor Dr Nashid Kamal shared her reflections about losing her husband to cancer. She then performed Tomar Du Chokhe Amar Swapna Aka and Srijono Chonde Anonde Nacho Notoraj .

Later, Najmus Ahmed Albab and his wife Kaniz Fahmida Ahmed then recited poems written during Albab’s own battle with cancer. He described how poetry became a lifeline during his darkest days. He reflected on forgiveness, love, and hope through his works Khoma and Khushi .

He concluded by reading a poem dedicated to his father, with whom he had a distant relationship that became deeply close during his cancer journey.

The kabbo sangeet segment concluded with Mustari Hossain Panna, who lost her son to cancer and later joined Alok Nibash to support patients in need. She performed Khelicho E Bissho Loye and Dui Chokhe Dui Nodi .

The evening ended with a powerful recitation by Jayanto Chattopadhyay, narrating Albab’s journey through acute myeloid leukemia and the birth of Alok Nibash. Lt Col (Retd) Mudassir Hossain Khan, Bir Pratik, Chief Advisor of BANCAT and a cancer survivor, closed the programme by urging collective responsibility in supporting cancer patients across the country.

As the night drew to a close, what stayed was not just music or poetry, but courage and hope. Alok Nibash is more than a place for treatment—it is a home where lives are restored, hearts are healed, and hope is given a chance to grow.