Sports Desk

It has been more than four months since Grandmaster Ziaur Rahman Zia departed from this earth. The 50-year-old, who will always be remembered for his passionate love for chess, breathed his last in front of his beloved chessboard on 5 July.

Zia suffered a cardiac arrest during the round 12 game of the ongoing 48th National Chess Championship 2024 at the Bangladesh Chess Federation (BCF) hall room on that day. He was immediately taken to nearby Ibrahim Cardiac Hospital and Research Institute where doctors declared him dead.

Death is always unacceptable though it is inevitable but Zia was exceptional as he made his death glorious like his famed 50-year-old life while playing his beloved sport where many sportsmen had failed to end their careers in front of their people at home.

Zia’s sudden death is an irreplaceable loss for the sports arena of the country and obviously the chess fraternity. But who is suffering more than his son FIDE Master Tahsin Tajwar Zia, his wife and Tahsin’s mother Tasmin Sultana Labanya?

“The federation (Bangladesh Chess Federation) said that they would financially support us, everyone said that they would help us. But no one is receiving my call now. They are saying now we will see your matter after the new committee is formed,” said Zia’s wife Labanya.

“My family stands beside me, my two brothers and two sisters are helping me so far. I’ve also talked with the Bangladesh Police Chess team (Zia played there), they previously helped us a lot when Zia was alive. I can understand that everything has changed due to the political changes, everyone is busy now,” she said, adding that she is struggling to manage fees and expenses for Tahsin’s study and play.

“I got some help initially, but again Tahsin’s four-month fee (school) has been overdue,” she said.

Labanya added that she could not have sent Tahsin to Singapore to play chess championship if his son’s friend did not come forward to help them achieve his dream by providing financial support.

“Tahsin wants to be a Grandmaster like his father. There will be a grandmaster tournament in Singapore, he wants to play there. All of his friends have arranged Tk2 lakh for us, we will be able to go there with it,” said the helpless mother.

“After Zia’s death, the federation and individuals told me that they would provide me Tk1 crore for us. The plan was we would keep it as a deposit. But they are now telling me to keep patience until the new committee takes over,” she said.

“I have been keeping patience for the last four months,”

Tahsin’s mother burst into tears.  When asked if they tried to meet Sports adviser, Ms Zia replied. “Many suggest me to talk to the adviser. Truly speaking, I have not gone to them. If they sent us back with only two or three lakhs, would it be helpful for us? We’ve never begged to anyone, but everything has changed after Zia’s death.”

“Zia was not involved with politics, he was not a follower of any political party. He spent his whole life on the chessboard. His passion, love and everything was this sport. If he was alive, we wouldn’t need to think about Tahsin’s career. But now they have forgotten us, they don’t want to think about us,” she concluded.

This reporter tried to communicate with BCF general secretary Syed Shahab Uddin Shamim over the phone but failed to reach him.