A village of two

Imagine yours is the only family in an entire village — just you and your better half living there. Sirajul Islam Sarker, 75, and his wife, Monwara Begum, 60, are the only heartbeats of Umanathpur, a tiny village in Mymensingh’s Ishwarganj upazila.
The village falls under Ward-8 of Razibpur union. It does appear on the map and even has a separate mouza designation, yet, it is a village of only two.
The couple wakes up each day to the calls of birds, the soft rustle of leaves, and the quiet flow of life around their 25-decimal plot.
The Old Brahmaputra River glimmers nearby and stretches of green surround their humble abode. Their plot also has a cowshed and an outdoor kitchen.
The village, just 15 kilometres from Ishwarganj’s centre, feels miles away from the busyness of the outside world.
Despite its charm, Umanathpur has always been remote — untouched, even uninviting to many.
But in 1965, Sirajul’s father, Romzan Ali Sarker, found the desolate place and saw an opportunity.
He built a house here, setting down roots in the wilderness and settling his family where others hesitated to go.
A deed writer by profession and a well-loved figure in the area, Romzan became a permanent part of Umanathpur, serving as a union parishad member five times.
For Sirajul, the village became home when he was only seven. He grew up surrounded by the land’s beauty, learning to cherish the isolation that Umanathpur offered.
But with that beauty came the challenges of living in such a far-off place. There are no roads connecting his home to the nearby villages — a quarter-kilometre of narrow, rugged path separates them from the nearest main road. “We need a proper road,” Sirajul said.
“This house, this land — they’re who we are. I can’t imagine leaving it behind.”
But Sirajul and Monwara were not always alone. Life was different just a few years ago when their son, Shariful Alam, a deed writer like his father, lived there with his own family.
But three years ago, Shariful passed away. His wife, taking their two children, moved to another village for better opportunities.
Over time, the isolation has invited threats. Seeing the land’s value, vested groups have made repeated attempts to pressure Sirajul to leave. Despite filing a general diary with Ishwarganj Police Station to report these threats, Sirajul lives with the unsettling sense that his legacy here could come to an end.
Monwara shares her husband’s worries, especially when she thinks of their grandson. Now living with his mother, he may never return to this land that his family has called home for generations. “If he doesn’t come back, the house will be empty after us,” she said. The thought of their home standing silent and abandoned is one of her deepest pains.
Their story has caught the attention of local authorities.
Razibpur Union Parishad chairman, Md Abdul Ali Fakir, said, “A two-member family in an entire village is rare in our country,” he said.
Sarmina Sattar, the upazila nirbahi officer in Ishwarganj, has assured the couple that any threats from vested groups will be properly investigated, with steps taken to ensure their safety.
For now, Sirajul and Monwara remain, living in their cherished solitude and holding on to a place they consider sacred.