NT Minister Jinson Charls on visiting Md ‘Sifat’ Isfaqur Rahman’s family
It was in a hotel lobby in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where the parents of slain international student Md ‘Sifat’ Isfaqur Rahman looked a NT Minister in the eye and told him how their son arrived in Australia full of hopes and dreams.
As a former health worker, Jinson Charls has beared witness to many grieving families.
However, one of his toughest emotional rides was in a hotel lobby in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where he met the family of slain international student Md ‘Sifat’ Isfaqur Rahman.
In January, the Multicultural Affairs Minister was visiting family in his homeland India when he decided to pay a visit to Mr Rahman’s family in neighbouring Bangladesh.
Geopolitical tensions meant he was only able to manage a day-trip, but it was an idea that had been firmly planted in his head for some time.
“This is something that personally impacted me, especially being a migrant,” Mr Charls said.
“When I heard about the news at the time that he was murdered and his life was gone within three months of arriving in this country, the first thing that came to mind was how my parents would have felt.”
Out of his own pocket, Mr Charls organised to meet the family and caught a flight to the Bangladeshi capital.
For three hours, Mr Rahman’s parents shared memories of their beloved son and what his hopes and dreams were when he left for Australia.
“It was one of the most emotional interactions I have had with anyone,” he said.
“They were in their late 50s and (’Sifat’) was someone born after many years of their marriage and, according to them, was someone gifted by God after many prayers.”
It was clear both parents were deeply affected by their loss.
“The tears of the mother... she was crying almost the whole time,” he said.
With their only son gone, the grief-stricken parents have turned to loving other children.
“They are using all their means to look after orphan kids,” Mr Charls said.
“And they’re in the process of building an orphanage because they want to support orphan kids and make sure they can provide education to them.”
At the time, their son had been dead for 18 month, with growing uncertainty as to how the justice system would handle the matter.
On Monday, their son’s murderer was found guilty.
When Mr Charls heard the news, he immediately contacted Mr Rahman’s family.
“They wanted justice for ‘Sifat’,” he said.
“And they wanted the court proceedings to go in that way and they believe that the court proceedings have given that justice to him and his family.”
The jury’s verdict was also well received by Darwin’s Bangladeshi community, who have been part of the journey since the beginning of the saga.
“Obviously it was a long process,” community leader Chowdhury Sadaruddin said.
“There is a closing now which is good for the family.
“We are feeling relieved, the whole community is feeling relieved.”
Noorun Salma agreed.
“We’ll not get Sifat back but we don’t want any more loss in our community or anywhere,” she said.
“We are happy with the judgement.”
Mr Charls said he, like the Bangladeshi community, would not forget the shocking incident which “could have happened to anyone”.
“This is something that affected every individual,” he said.
“And I think it’s a scary thing to anyone and especially being an international student.”
Originally published as NT Minister Jinson Charls on visiting Md ‘Sifat’ Isfaqur Rahman’s family
