Date: July 18th, 2022

Interviewee: Rehana Alam

Interviewer: Subat Matin

Location: Brooklyn, New York


MATIN: Today is July 18th, 2022, tell me your life story.

ALAM: I have to start from when I was born?

MATIN: Tell me your name first.

ALAM: My name is Rehana Alam. I was born in Sylhet. My date of birth is…you don’t need to know it? Alright. After that I lived in Sylhet for a while. My father was a senior court officer. His job required him to be transferred. After that we lived in Barisal, Comilla, and then some other places…I lived in a lot of different places…that’s from my childhood. After that I went to different schools as well. During the war my dad left us in the village to go get some of our things and as he was coming back a free fighter took my father and we never heard from again. I got married in 1974- came to America in 1991 and my older sister also got married in 1972. All of my brothers studied. I couldn’t do much of my studies because I got married after my metric exams. They lived in Sandwip so I moved there. My home was originally in Sandwip but because of my father’s job we never actually lived there while my father was still alive. Later my older brother graduated in Engineering from Chittagong. After his graduation he got married and had a child. A few months after he had his first child he was killed on April 27th, 1977.

My second brother got married and studied…he took night classes in order to take care of his family. While studying and working he ran the household and took care of all of us siblings and our mom. After that he moved to Saudi Arabia. After he moved to Saudi Arabia…he would come back every year to finish his studies and after taking his exams he would go back. When he finished his studies, he wouldn’t have to come back to take exams each year so he moved back…after he came back, he found a job…so he worked there. His two sons, one passed engineering from BUET college and the other from civil. One of them lives in Canada and the other lives in Missouri now. No actually Michigan and the other is in Missouri, they’re both married. One is a doctor and the other is an engineer. He first worked at…after that he worked at different places then finally at first security Islamic bank. He has two sons and one daughter. One of the sons is an engineer, he lives in Dallas and his wife is a doctor. The other son is also married and his wife lives in Australia and he lives in Dallas. His daughter is still in Dallas and studying in college there. The one that lives in Australia is a BUET engineer and was a professor there. Then the government sent him to get his PHD. After he passed his PHD, his wife was a BUET professor. After coming here, they got married in Bangladesh now they all live in Australia. Their son is an engineer and their daughter is still studying in school. The other one is sick now and lives in Chittagong. After going abroad, he got into an accident and now he is sick. He has to do everything while sitting down and can only go as far to use the bathroom on his own but nothing much more than that. My brother takes care of him and he helps them financially and he is with his wife. The youngest is an engineer. When my father passed away, he was young, maybe a couple months old, he is now an engineer and passed from Chittagong and his wife is a doctor and they live in Canada. My other sister passed away I think in 2018. That’s our story.

MATIN: How was your life during your childhood?

ALAM: During my childhood I attended different schools, I was with my mother, I played, that’s how I lived. I had a lot of siblings so we all loved and cared for each other a lot. We taught our younger siblings ourselves…we got a little older and got married. I went to Sandwip to live with my in-laws. I was well there. My husband came to America and brought us here and now we’re all here. I have two sons. The eldest lives in Missouri. He is a computer science engineer and the youngest is also a computer science engineer but he lives in Virginia. They both got married. The eldest son's wife is a doctor and the youngest son’s wife passed college from here but she does not work and takes care of her daughters. The eldest son’s son attends college and works part-time. His daughter is still very young. The youngest son’s daughter is in 12th grade and she works as well as a tutor. The middle child is still in 8th grade going to 9th grade so she is still too young to work so she stays at home and helps take care of her younger sister. That’s it.

MATIN: In Bangladesh how did you like school? What did you guys do at school?

ALAM: At school we would study and sometimes we would sing. We would also play, that’s how it was.

MATIN: How did you like school?

ALAM: I liked school.

MATIN: While living in Bangladesh, what kind of food did you eat?

ALAM: Oh, while living in Bangladesh? I would eat spinach, vegetables, fish, meat, whichever we had at that time. I liked all of our food, I would eat everything.

MATIN: And when you lived in Bangladesh, did you know anything about America or American culture?

ALAM: I would hear about it from everyone that America is this and that. After coming here, I realized that there are changes but I am well. I used to hear from others that it was bad here but after coming here I saw that America was good. It’s not worse than Bangladesh. Our prayers and modesty are easy here. We can do things on our own and we can socialize or stay at home. I also enjoy the food here but we still eat Bengali food here.

MATIN: What did you hear about America while in Bangladesh?

ALAM: Huh?

MATIN: What kinds of things would you hear about America while living in Bangladesh?
ALAM: Oh, they would say that America is this way. The mosques aren’t great and people don’t pray and they have a different lifestyle from us. But then I came here and saw that there are so many mosques, people participate in fasting and pray together on Eid. People are welcoming and encourage each other to pray and study hadiths. A lot of women get together to learn about and discuss hadiths and learn about what our prophets. We are our last prophet's nation. We practice our religion this way here.

MATIN: How did you first hear about America?

ALAM: Huh?

MATIN: When did you first hear about America?

ALAM: When I first heard about it? When we first got our visas that’s when.

MATIN: What did you know about America?

ALAM: I knew that there are a lot of white people and everything is good here. I heard that women from here live with freedom, they work and drive cars. Women can do everything rights. That’s what I heard and I realized those were true.

MATIN: Why did you leave Bangladesh and come here?

ALAM: My husband came here so I came here too, how many days should I stay alone? I stayed in Bangladesh for a long time and I raised my sons there and brought them up well and taught them and let them focus on their education. I didn’t let them socialize too long. After breakfast I would send them straight to school. After school I would put them to sleep. They would sleep and then play for a while in the evening and then they would…I also had a Quran teacher for them who taught them how to pray and both brothers together would recite the call to prayer when it was prayer time and then they would pray all five prayers throughout the day. They would read the Quran as well. I also had a school tutor for them and he would tutor them in the morning and evenings. I wouldn’t let them go out and socialize too much. I would put them to sleep, feed them on time, I would give them milk, vegetables, they even used to eat these with their tutor. They used to eat together three times a day. I would give them food for school too and they would eat with their tutor. I would fill their lunch boxes with food and give it to them…all the time.

MATIN: And why did you want to come to New York?

ALAM: For my husband. My sons are getting older, they would also study here and stay with their dad or else they won’t be able to recognize him. I thought my sons would forget their father since he was in America so I would ask him to send his pictures to us so that my sons can remember him. At that time, we didn’t have mobile phones and we didn’t have telephones in Sandwip. Sometimes I would come to Chittagong to speak to him. Back then we weren’t able to see each other on the phone. We would just listen and talk on the phone. Masum would say, break the phone so I can see dad. I can only hear my dad through the phone. He was a little restless. They would write letters when they first started learning how to write and send them to their dad. They would say that if we send these letters dad will think of us and come back. That’s pretty much how it was going, I would always tell them about their dad. They would ask their dad to send them clothes and other things, we want to wear clothes from America…

MATIN: When did you come to America?

ALAM: I came to America in 1991.

MATIN: And what kind of experiences did you have after coming to New York?

ALAM: After coming to New York? When I came to new York I had a lot of friends. The apartment building, I used to live in had a lot of people so I would talk to everyone. We went to the stores together. We would all hang out together and go shopping together. During Eid we would all get together. After staying there for a while, we later moved to our own private home. There I had some tenants and they knew me very well. I can’t see very well because of my eyes anymore so I just spend most of my time at home now and pray because of my sickness.

MATIN: After coming to New York what surprised you most after seeing American culture?

ALAM: What surprised me? About American people or Bengalis?

MATIN: After seeing the American people.

ALAM: Oh, for me? I really liked it. After seeing American people, I felt really good, they’re very honest and tell the truth, they helped me find my way around. There were times that I forgot way to my house and I had to ask people for directions, but instead they helped bring me home. When asking what time, it was or how much something costs they would always answer. They would tell me nicely and explain things to me. The people here are very respectful towards everyone. No matter what mistakes you make, if you are able to adjust, they will help you nicely.

MATIN: While living in Bangladesh did you ever hear about other Bangladeshis that would come to America?

ALAM: Yes, I would hear about them but there were very few back then. After we came here, there were a lot more Bengali people who came. When we first came there weren’t that many. Your grandfather was here, my husband was here, and a few relatives here and there. But later on, people kept coming and coming and now it’s filled with people and just like Bangladesh now.

MATIN: Did you ever face any discrimination after coming to America?

ALAM: Huh?

MATIN: Did any Americans ever speak badly towards you guys?

ALAM: No, no didn’t I mention? If I accidentally took the wrong street or if I asked any questions about the time or prices and my husband was at work, I would say I have two kids and need to get home quickly and ask them which way I should go. Sometimes when I’d go to the hospital, they would show me the way to the emergency door and take me all the way to the door. They would say, follow me, follow me. The American people are really good.

MATIN: How did you adjust to the American lifestyle after coming here?

ALAM: After coming here? Adjustments- I liked it here and as I was living here, I got used to everything. No one had to teach me, I kind of adjusted on my own.

MATIN: What do you like about New York?

ALAM: What I like most about New York? I like the people of this country the most.

MATIN: What do you like in New York?

ALAM: What do I like in New York? I like the food, environment…there’s no violence. Americans are truthful which is why I like America. I myself am good and that’s why I like them too.

MATIN: Why did you settle in New York and not any other state?

ALAM: I go to other states, my brother lives there and nephews so I go to visit them. Since we already bought a home here, I have to take care of the house too. But I still visit other states to see my brother and sister in law, my nieces, so I go everywhere.

MATIN: Did you face any problems when coming to America?

ALAM: Huh?

MATIN: Did you face any kinds of problems?

ALAM: What is that?

MATIN: Did you have any problems after coming to America?

ALAM: No, we didn’t face any problems.

MATIN: And after coming here did you have to learn English or did you not want to speak it?

ALAM: I couldn’t understand English that much. I can’t speak English but when someone talks in English, I can sometimes understand them. If I worked outside, I would have been able to learn the language but I just learned the basics from going to the store and it was enough to get by. I became a housewife, I would cook but after problems with my eyes and diabetes…so how would I go out? That’s why I didn’t have much practice with English. I can understand some of it but it’s a little difficult for me to speak it.

MATIN: What was the hardest thing about leaving Bangladesh and coming to New York?
ALAM: No, I didn’t have any problems.

MATIN: Leaving your family…

ALAM: I had to leave my family and go but I would visit Bangladesh and we would speak on the phone. It’s not like there wasn’t any opportunity like that here. I had to leave but I still kept contact with them and eventually brought them here. You’re not going to be able to do everything. There are always going to be some things that don’t work out. But I was in Bangladesh ever since I was born and even after my marriage but I came here because of my marriage and for my own home and family. It’s still good in other ways and I would still keep in contact with family in Bangladesh.

MATIN: How many times would you go back to Bangladesh to visit your family?

ALAM: I wasn’t able to go as much at first. After I first came, I stayed here for seven years and then I became a citizen. After I got my citizenship, I went to visit. Then I went again during my brother’s wedding, later on for my son’s wedding, also after my mother passed away, and another time when my mother and father in-law passed away. But now I don’t go visit anymore especially after my eyesight has gotten a lot worse so I can’t go anymore.

MATIN: When you came to America how did you keep in contact with your family?

ALAM: I would talk to them on the phone. I would speak to everyone on the phone.

MATIN: What do your relatives in Bangladesh think of you now?

ALAM: I didn’t have a lot of family here, but I knew everyone is busy with their lives and to me taking care of my husbands and kids was the most important to me. Sometimes I feel like going back to see them but maybe one day if God wills for me to go back then I will…my main family is no longer there such as my in-laws or my parents. I have my brothers but they all have their own families and kids and everyone lives in separate places. Eventually everyone changes. At the end of the day your new family through your marriage is what becomes best…My brothers tell me to come and other relatives do as well but if I go, the problems that I’m going to have only I myself will understand. There are really nice roads to walk around but I still have problems doing so. So, I made myself strong and believed whatever is meant to happen to me is going to happen. Both of my sons are here as well as my other family, everyone is here…

MATIN: Do you think Bangladesh or America is your home now?

ALAM: Huh?

MATIN: Now do you think that Bangladesh or America is your home?

ALAM: America is my home.

MATIN: When you got married, tell me a little bit about your life then.

ALAM: Oh, when I got married it was kind of sudden. My older brother at that time was studying engineering and taking his finals. Then all of a sudden, my mother arranged my marriage. It was also during a flood. There was so much rain…everything was ruined from the rain. I got married all of a sudden. My brother was studying engineering and my mom got me married quickly. My dad wasn’t there and my mom was by herself. My brothers were younger and were studying. After I got married my in-laws loved me but they didn’t like it when I visited at my parents and would send me home upon being there for a days. When I conceived with my first son my in-laws would not let me visit much at all. Soon after having my first son, I immediately after had my second son and my husband left abroad for work again. My husband was away in America before working and I was alone in Bangladesh raising my sons by myself. I had do everything for them. I stayed home by myself with my sons and did all the housework. Even if I felt bad, I did not have the time to be sad about it. I always worked at home and dedicated my time with my sons. Until they were nine years old, I gave them a bath with…so that they don’t get a rash or sickness, especially since their father wasn’t here with me. My father in-law was there and he took a lot of care of them as well and would bring them whatever they needed but I made sure to take good care of them even while we were in Bangladesh. It was very difficult. Everyone would leave and be outside and play in the evenings. But I wouldn’t let them go out that late or else they would become tired and fall asleep and wouldn’t have time for their studies. I would put them to sleep after school and after that I would clean them up and give them time to study. They tried their best. Since they were with me, I was able to spend my time well…

MATIN: After coming to Brooklyn did you ever work?

ALAM: When I came to Brooklyn, I tried to work outside at first, but it never happened. My husband didn’t let me either. He told me that I didn’t have to work and that he was making more money so what are you going to do working. Sometimes I would babysit.

MATIN: After coming here how did you take care of your kids?

ALAM: Yes, I took care of them here too. When I came here, I had to take care of my kids a lot. I didn’t let them do anything of the work like go to the groceries I did everything. My sons went to school and I didn’t want to bother them once they came and let them do their own work. Sometimes I would go check on them and see what they’re working on and to make sure they were really studying…I make sure they got to sleep and if they had their blankets on. If they had to come home late, I would stay up until I knew they were home. After they came home, I would talk to them and then go to sleep. Sometimes one or two of their friends would come over and they would say why does your mom stay up to talk to you guys and then head to bed. They would say our mom won’t sleep until she knows we’re home. That’s how I raised my sons.

MATIN: What’s the biggest difference between women who live in America versus the women who live in Bangladesh?

ALAM: There are a lot of differences.

MATIN: What kinds of differences?

ALAM: What kinds of differences? America is a freer country. We can do whatever we want…but in Bangladesh it’s not like that. Life in Bangladesh was full of tension and here it’s not. We wouldn’t get much sleep and would have to stay with the housemaids and take care of them as well. Here life is a lot different. I can eat whenever I want or not at all or relax and talk on the phone with others, making more time for prayers. This life here is a lot better, isn’t it?

MATIN: How is life here for women?

ALAM: Life is a lot better for women.

MATIN: Here or in Bangladesh?

ALAM: It’s better here.

MATIN: Why?

ALAM: Life in America is better for women. Woman can have things easier here compared to back home. They can do whatever they want whenever they want. They can go out and explore and keep contact with everyone maintaining all of their relationships. They can use technology like stoves and talk for hours on the phone back home without worries. They can go out for walks and go to grocery stores. Isn’t that a lot better for women? I think it’s a lot better. I think it’s a lot better for me.

MATIN: What kind of struggles do women in Bangladesh face?

ALAM: They have to get groceries, they have to fish with nets, descale the fish and cut them by hand, cook and sometimes get into problems with the housemaids if things don’t turn out well. These kinds of problems. That’s how the days pass by.

MATIN: After coming here what kind of Bangladeshi cultural practices did you want to keep and pass down to your kids?

ALAM: Huh?

MATIN: After coming here what kind of Bangladeshi cultural practices did you want to keep and pass down to your kids?

ALAM: For my kids? What news I wanted to keep?

MATIN: Bangladeshi culture

ALAM: Culture? Oh, after coming here I continued to practice my culture. I had to make sure the kids were not forgetting their Bangladeshi culture and religion. They used to go to the mosque and pray five times a day. My sons would always write letters to their grandparents and aunts before there was a phone. I would write letters to them as well. After getting into college, they weren’t able to practice as much because they got a lot busier and would come home late. When we used to live in our apartment, they used to go to pray at the mosque 5 times a day. After seeing them, our other neighbors in the building would go and practice their religion as well. Thanks to our Bangladeshi culture I was able to guide them and practice our religion such as Eid prayers and befriending other Bengalis. We spent most of our time with our Bengali friend circle. They spent less time with the Americans here. Sometimes they would study with their American friends or learn things over the phone. When they first came and enrolled in college there was a lot that they didn’t know how to do so they would spend time with one of their Bengali relatives who helped them. There were a few other Bengali boys from the same village as us that came later on and they studied with and got help from my sons then. That’s how their days would go by. They weren’t able to spend too much time hanging out and socializing.

MATIN: What kind of Bangladeshi cultural values are you teaching your grandchildren?

ALAM: Yes, I am teaching them about our Bangladeshi culture. I talk to them on the phone daily and facetime and we speak in Bangla. They also know how to speak in Bangla. We taught them how to speak in our language. Some of the younger ones can understand Bangla but can’t speak it. We want them to slowly learn the language.

MATIN: After coming here how did you guys find Bengali or halal food?

ALAM: We would search for them and make sure they're halal and then buy them. There were places that sold halal food. We all still eat halal food, even my sons.

MATIN: Do you think there are any problems with Bangladeshi culture?

ALAM: Problem?

MATIN: Do you think there are any issues with Bangladeshi culture?

ALAM: No, I don’t think there are any problems.

MATIN: Do you think now that you are Bangladeshi or American?

ALAM: No, I am Bangladeshi. I am not American. My sons are also Bangladeshi.

MATIN: And what do your grandchildren think?

ALAM: I never had this kind of conversation with my grandchildren but they know that their home is Bangladesh. Their grandfather's homes were in Bangladesh and they know that well. They also visit Bangladesh sometimes. They know that we are Bangladeshi.

MATIN: After coming here where would you guys meet other Bengali people and where would you see them?

ALAM: I have some relatives here.

MATIN: Where would you see them?

ALAM: They would come over to our house to visit and we would go to visit theirs too.

MATIN: How is the Bangladeshi community in Brooklyn?

ALAM: Huh?

MATIN: How is the Bangladeshi community in Brooklyn?

ALAM: There are a lot of Bengalis everywhere.

MATIN: During your childhood while you were in school, what did they teach you guys about Bangladesh history back then? Did they ever teach you guys about British rule over the Bengal region?

ALAM: When I was in Bangladesh what they taught me at school?

MATIN: Yes, and did they teach you anything about when the British had control over the Bengal region?

ALAM: They would teach us about it…the teachers would tell us about so many stories and teach us. I don’t remember much or didn’t pay enough attention to it since I was a lot younger then.

MATIN: During the war in Bangladesh what kind of experiences did you have?

ALAM: During the war we were in…Pakistanis and some other name I can’t think of right now. When they came to attack Bangladesh then everyone abandoned their jobs and went home because they thought they could not live there anymore, especially with older daughters. Everyone that had older daughters or sons were worried because they would disturb them the most. They used to hit boys and kidnap girls. I would hear about these things. That time everyone left their homes and came back to the villages, we came back to Sandwip. When I was in Sandwip I didn’t know what else was going on outside of there.

MATIN: Did you know anyone that fought in the war or sought refuge in India?

ALAM: I didn’t know anyone that did since I didn’t grow up in Sandwip and lived outside of it. Maybe nearby us there were people who did but there weren’t many that I knew of but we weren’t in Sandwip there, I wasn’t born in Sandwip.

MATIN: Did you know anyone that fought in the war?

ALAM: My brother in-law, some other people from my sister’s in-laws, who else went? There were a lot of other people that went but they’re no longer in Bangladesh. Since most of them were older than us back then, a lot of them have passed away now or live outside of the country. I can’t remember their names. It was a very dangerous situation. People were being tortured and killed, homes were burned down, there was a lot of violence. A lot went into trying to make Bangladesh independent. Like my father who was taken. My father was a big court officer but he left.

MATIN: Who took your father?

ALAM: When the war started, we came to Sandwip. We didn’t know the way and it was very difficult to get there. We didn’t bring any of our belongings with us, we just walked here and later we took a train and went through a river to get to Sandwip. My father thought that this situation was interfering with our education. So, he went back to bring all of our books, clothes, and other belongings but on the way someone took him and took all of our belongings as well. We couldn’t find him anywhere.

MATIN: So, you never saw your father ever again?

ALAM: No, I never saw him again.

MATIN: Did you hear any news about him?

ALAM: No, I never heard anything about him either. At the time there were a lot of people around us who knew us but no one knew who took him or where they took him. They would just kill you on the spot. That’s how it was back then. If you even questioned them for taking an innocent person, they would leave them and kill you instead. They would say who are you to question me?

MATIN: During the famine in Bangladesh in 1974, what was your life like? Did you see anything?

ALAM: Yes, I saw a lot. It was a horrible situation. That was around the time I got married in 1974. Nowadays rice grains are 40 or 20 kg but now people don’t die. But back then when it suddenly became 10 or 7 kg, people started to die and the famine began. Beggars would search for seeds and eat those after heating them on the stove. If other people made rice, they would try to get some of the used rice water from them. They would come from faraway places just to get the used rice water and eat it with just a little bit of salt and spice. They would ask others not to throw away any of the water and to save it for them instead. If others were able to, they would also try to give them some rice and vegetables along with it. They would bring small buckets and fill them up and share with others. A lot of people died from just eating seeds and the used rice water because their bodies became weak and they were sick. So many people died and suffered. I saw this all with my own eyes and heard about it all with my own ears. In 1974 was when I got married and I saw all of this happen. From there prices slowly started to rise and it stayed that way.

MATIN: While you lived in Bangladesh did you ever hear about Bengalis that would go to the middle east to work?

ALAM: Yes, I heard about them.

MATIN: Did you know anyone who did?

ALAM: Yes, I knew them. One of my sister in-laws' husband went, his brothers and nephews. Other people that lived near us also went. Some went to Dubai and others to the middle east or Kuwait…everyone went, so many people went.

MATIN: Did you know what kind of work they did there or how people treated them?

ALAM: At first, they worked there and lived in hotels and cooked there. They would try to bring their own people in the hotels to help them. I would hear about these kinds of things. Most of them would work at hotels.

MATIN: When you were in school in Bangladesh did, they ever teach you about the US or American history?

ALAM: No, they wouldn’t teach us about these things.

MATIN: Did you ever hear about other Bengalis that would immigrate to other countries instead of America?

ALAM: No, wherever they went they were happy. If they left outside of Bangladesh they would think they came to another country outside of Bangladesh. A country with big... [snakes?].

MATIN: How was the immigration process for you?

ALAM: Immigration? It was happy news. I was very happy.

MATIN: And when you first became a citizen how did it feel?

ALAM: I felt very happy then too.

MATIN: Why?

ALAM: I became a citizen…if you’re a citizen there’s so many advantages and that’s why I was very happy. My sons and I became citizens at the same time.

MATIN: When you came here did you hear about people that had contract marriages?

ALAM: Huh?

MATIN: Did you ever hear about people that had contract marriages to become a citizen?

ALAM: Yes, I heard of that too.

MATIN: Did you know anyone that did?

ALAM: Yes, I did…no I heard they did in order to get a green card.

MATIN: What’s your favorite memory of Bangladesh?

ALAM: My favorite memories are my in-laws' home, my father’s home, my home in Chittagong, everywhere I attended school. When I think about those things, I even thought about it last night, in Comilla we had some java plums trees and pear trees. We would collect them in bundles from the trees and give them to others. Everyone was the owner of these foods. We had a really big pond...in the evening all of us would go to the fields. My father would watch over us and tell us to play outside and not stay in all day since it’s not good for us. There was a field there and we would all play together. I think about it a lot. That was real life. My school life. My friends were there, my school was near my house. I would run all the way to their houses and they would come to my house too. At the hospital there was a girl my age who would also come and we would all sing and dance or talk about everything. When I think about these things it makes me cry.

MATIN: What do you miss the most about Bangladesh?

ALAM: I miss my family that passed away like my grandmother, my in-laws, my parents. I miss them the most. I think of them and see them in my dreams almost every day. I dream about how if they were alive, I could’ve brought them here and kept them with me. My mother in-law loved fish eggs and here we have so many. I would’ve fed her. I miss these things the most, nothing else.

MATIN: After coming here how did you keep up with the things that were going on in Bangladesh?

ALAM: I would get those news right away on the telephone. Before anything happened, we would hear about it like when someone passed away, if someone was killed, if someone did well in school, or who got married. They would let us know right away over the phone. They would call and tell us about it before they even told their neighbors.

MATIN: Do you have any regrets?

ALAM: My regret is that I lost everyone and I won’t ever get to see them again. They won’t see me and I won’t see them. This is my only regret.

MATIN: What are you most proud of in your life?

ALAM: What do I want?

MATIN: What are you proud of?

ALAM: What I’m proud of? I hope that my husband lives long. I want to spend time with my husband and visit my sons. I am proud of these things.

MATIN: Would you like to say or share anything else?

ALAM: What?

MATIN: Would you like to say anything else?

ALAM: No, what else should I say? We are all here and we are all doing well with my sons and grandchildren, my husband, relatives, my home. Visiting relatives and having relatives visit us as well. I enjoy these things. This is my hope, I don’t have any other desires in this world. I hope I can leave this world staying firm in my faith.