The Concrete-Milestone
( পাথরের মাইলস্টোন )
Sadequr Rahman
These broken roads and shattered homes,
by the yard, the leaning pole
of the forgotten vine-frame
or the paddy husking
machine, fallen and dead—
all of it,
then one day, somehow,
gets fixed again.
Then one day, in loud,
lively cheer,
the morning bazaar hums
back to life,
office streets buzz once more,
the grocer’s shop swells with chatter,
and the bellows of
the blacksmith’s forge
heave and groan
even harder.
Then one day,
through tireless drills,
war planes slice the sky
with a whoosh
and a roar—
and on the asphalt highways
vehicles thunder,
endlessly, fearlessly,
racing the day away.
And then one day,
like this—
everything gets fixed again.
Only the concrete Milestone
by the road stands still,
speechless, watching.
Note: This poem was written in grief after the tragic plane crash at Milestone School, Diabari, Uttara, Dhaka, in which many children were killed or injured on July 21, 2025.
Poet's Bio :
Sadequr Rahman was born in 1968 in Kauli of Tarail under the district of Kishoreganj. He writes prose poems—marked by brief narratives and vivid character portrayals; this style is the hallmark of his writing. His poetic voice sheds light on the darker sides of society, hinting at a desire to dispel that darkness. He serves as the headteacher of a government primary school ( elementary school }. he contributed his works to Pandulipi'r Kobita Songkolon 3 ( 2024 ) & 4 ( 2025 )

A poet having a sense of moral responsibility to expose the bare truth by perfect use of metaphors and bitter humor.
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ReplyDeleteExcellent translation. I have gone through some poems of this writer. Sedequr Rahman is a poet of nature as well as a lover of spirituality. I offer my heartfelt thanks to the translator who has done his job skillfully.
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