Washington DC: Today was a deeply meaningful day. We had the honor of welcoming a delegation from the Social Agency for Welfare and Advancement in Bangladesh (SAWAB), led by my dear friend of many decades, S.M. Rasheduzzaman, to Washington, DC. The gathering felt less like a formal meeting and more like a reunion of companions on a shared journey of service and humanity. We were joined by Sardar Zarif Khan, Advisor to the President of Azad Kashmir and Board Member of KORT; Sardar Shoaib Irshad, General Secretary of KAWA; Sardar Zubair Khan, head of Financial Affairs at KAWA; and Sardar Zeeshan Khan, a young and passionate social activist.

It was truly a meeting of hearts and minds — filled with sincerity, shared purpose, and hope for the future. We reflected on common challenges, exchanged experiences, and envisioned new ways to work together for the good of our communities.

Rasheduzzaman spoke with quiet pride about recent developments in Bangladesh. He credited the country’s stability and positive direction to the wise leadership of Dr. Muhammad Yunus — a Nobel laureate whose integrity, humility, and lifelong service to humanity continue to inspire millions. Under his stewardship, people look forward with renewed hope to a fair and transparent election in February 2026.

My association with Rasheduzzaman spans 35 years of friendship, trust, and shared struggle. We first served together on the Board of the Union of NGOs of the Islamic World (UNIW) in Istanbul in 2005 — an organization rooted in compassion and cooperation across nations. Today, with 488 member organizations from 66 countries, UNIW remains a powerful symbol of unity, solidarity, and moral strength.

Rasheduzzaman also spoke with deep emotion about SAWAB’s humanitarian mission — from serving the people of Bangladesh to standing beside Rohingya refugees who have lost everything except hope. SAWAB’s work touches lives where the need is greatest — education, health care, clean water, social equity, and dignity for vulnerable women and children. Their programs are not merely projects; they are lifelines of compassion and healing.

Their Shari’ah-compliant social enterprise and microfinance initiatives uplift families with dignity through interest-free support, shared entrepreneurship, and skills development, helping the poorest transform hardship into resilience.

We also listened to Sardar Zarif Khan’s moving account of KORT, founded by Choudhary Mohammed Akhtar — a man whose courage, faith, and love turned a barren mountaintop into a sanctuary of warmth and belonging for orphaned children. KORT is not just an institution — it is a home built from tears, devotion, and hope.

The upcoming KORT Hospital in Palandri, spread across 100 kanals, valued at Rs. 10–12 billion, will provide free treatment to the poor — a monument to compassion and an enduring tribute to human generosity.

I also shared the painful and heartbreaking reality of Kashmir — a land where silence has become the only shield against oppression. Speaking a word of truth risks imprisonment under unjust laws like the UAPA, where many honorable sons and daughters of Kashmir remain behind bars — Mohammad Yasin Malik, Shabir Ahmed Shah, Masarat Alam, Aasia Andrabi, Sofi Fehmeeda, Nahida Nasreen, Khurram Parvez, and others — not for crime, but for courage.

They are prisoners of conscience — their only “offense” was to speak for the right of self-determination, a right once recognized before the world. Their suffering is a wound carried by every Kashmiri heart.

Throughout our meeting, Sardar Zubair Khan, Sardar Shoaib Irshad, and Sardar Zeeshan Khan contributed with passion, sincerity, and dedication. Their words reflected not only experience — but love for their people.

Today’s gathering reaffirmed a truth we all share: Hope — even in the darkest of times — remains our greatest strength.

(Dr. Fai is also the Secretary General, World Kashmir Awareness forum. He can be reached at: WhatsApp: 1-202-607-6435  or  gnfai2003@yahoo.com www.kashmirawareness.org