Both the siblings at their 30 have been attacked with an unidentified, rare and incurable form of disability at Koalipara village under Taherpur Municipality of Rajshahi district.
The siblings have been identified as Sajedur Rahman Shantu (39), a former newspaper hawker and his brother Selim Reza (30), a post-graduate from Rajshahi College and a qualified candidate from NTRCA, selected to join as a Lecturer in a college in Chittagong. He was also selected to be appointed as a teacher in a secondary school under NTRCA.
Both the brothers are learnt to turn paralyzed just after crossing the age of 30. Before attaining this age, they were leading a normal life. But, now they cannot walk or talk properly.
Parents and near relatives of the siblings have already sold their land to arrange money for their treatment. Now, their land having sold and having no abled earning member, the siblings with their family members are leading a miserable life.
Family members of Sajedur and Selim failed to inform about the disease in which they are suffering from. By hearing the condition of two brothers through a mobile phone, Professor and Specialist in Neuro Medicine of Rajshahi Medical College, Amjad Hossain Pramanik opined, the disease may be related to rare genetic disorder and treatment of such gene related disease is very complex and costly.
It is learnt, once an avid bicycle runner, a newspaper hawker, Sajedur turned paralyzed nine year ago, in 2013. He took treatment to the local doctors but getting no result, he sold fragments of land of his father and maternal grandfather and went to India for an improved treatment. But, he failed to recover by taking treatment there and returned home disappointed.
However, Selim Reza, younger brother of Sajedur, received his post-graduation degree with first class in Zoology from Rajshahi College. He was then successfully selected through NTRCA (Non-gov't teachers' registration and certification authorities) to be appointed as a Lecturer in Zoology at a college in Chittagong.
At the same time, he was also selected to be appointed as an Assistant Teacher in a secondary school. However, fortune laughed at Selim. Just a couple of weeks before joining as a Lecturer, Selim also turned paralyzed in 2018.
While he went to join as a Lecturer in the college, the college authorities identified him as unfit to work as a Lecturer. As a result, family members of Sajedur-Selim fell into a further deepening crisis.
Sajdur and Selim have their mother, wives and two sons. With the seven-member family, it is a daily struggle for Sajedur's mother, his wife and his brother Selim's wife to maintain the family. Female family members of the house are trying to survive somehow by rearing poultry birds.
Shahanara Begum, mother of Sajedur-Selim told in an emotional choked voice that her both sons are extremely sincere and dutiful to the family members and maintain an excellent relation with neighbors. But, she has no idea why both her sons at their 30 have been attacked with paralysis. She further said, by using her all savings and selling fragments of family land, she treated her sons, but there was no benefit.
Sajedur Rahman, however, was talking with unclear accent though he talked very clearly before being attacked with the disease. He somehow mentioned that he and his brother need financial assistance for their treatment. He also said, due to utter poverty, they cannot manage their daily meals properly. He mentioned in a choked voice that he was very anxious about the future condition and study of the family members including his sons.
Selim Reza, however, failed to express any word properly but was only weeping violently.