A Father’s Love Beyond Time

by Niaz Murshed Chowdhury

In Loving Memory of My Father – On His First Death Anniversary

Today marks the first death anniversary of my father. It was on this very day in 2013 that I lost not just a parent, but the person who was my entire world.

I was born a twin—my brother Riaz and I came into this world together. Because it was difficult for our mother to care for both of us at once, my father took full responsibility for raising me. I never tasted my mother’s milk. My father became everything—my comfort, my nurturer, my entire foundation.

He would come home from work exhausted, and yet spend the entire night beside me, caring for me through sleepless nights. I remember so vividly: as young boys, we used to sleep on either side of him, and each morning we would find our little feet resting on his head or his chest. He never complained. He embraced it all with the patience and love only a father could carry.

But when he became seriously ill, I was busy applying to universities in the U.S. I couldn’t be by his side the way I wanted to be. In late 2012, he was admitted to Chattogram Metropolitan Hospital. I finally had the chance to care for him closely for a few precious days. I remain deeply thankful to Naeem Abu, who selflessly cared for my father in those final moments as if he were his own.

And yet, even now, a quiet guilt lingers in my heart. I feel I couldn't serve him the way he had silently and lovingly served me throughout my life.

Where Life Has Taken Us

Today, I’ve completed my PhD in Economics and am working for the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) in the United States. My twin brother Riaz is currently pursuing his PhD in Genomics at the University of Houston.

We are walking the path you once dreamed for us, Baba—carrying your love, strength, and silent sacrifices within us.

A Prayer for You

Baba, though this world kept me away from your bedside longer than I wished, you’ve never left my heart—not for a second. You live in my memories, in my work, and in every choice I make.

Please pray for us from where you are. Pray that we become people who serve humanity with sincerity, who walk the path of compassion, and who never turn away from those in need.

I pray to Allah to grant you Jannatul Ferdous, the highest paradise. You deserve nothing less.

You Will Always Be the Address of My Heart.