Sylhet, Oct 13 (UNB) –Srimukh, a village under Khajanchi union in Bishwanath upazila, is probably the smallest village in the country where only a 5-member family has been living for long amid the absence of various basic facilities, including a road.   The village, enlisted in the government gazette, is located at Ward No 5 of the union and in the middle of Telikona and Paschim Noagaon villages with a single family living here since the mid-60s.   The current members of the isolated family include three women -- Rahima Begum, 35, Dilara Begum, Angura Begum, 43, and Sumaia, minor girl Akhter Tahina, 8, and Aftab Ali.   Ali, the only male member of the family, has been living in Saudi Arabia for 30 years to support the family.   While visiting the village recently, the UNB correspondent found that there is no road to enter the village and the lone family of the village has been struggling to survive for lack of various basic facilities.   The only tube-well at the village went out of order long ago and they have to drink water fetching it from neighbouring village. They have to drink contaminated pond water when they are unable to move out.   Rahima Begum, wife of Aftab Ali, said there is no path to get out of their house. As there is no road, they have to go out crossing the lands of others.

Photo shows three family members of the smallest village. Photo: UNB 

“My daughter can’t go to school during the rainy season. My husband now can’t earn much because he has grown old. We don’t get any government assistance either. So, we’ve been living a terrible life here,” she bemoaned.
 
Rahima said they desperately need a road at the village and the government can construct it.
 
Though the village is listed in the government gazette, no development work is done at the village.
 
Once a Hindu family used to live there. In 1964, the Hindu family sold the house to the ancestor of Aftab Ali.
 
Talukder Gias Uddin, chairman of Khazanchi union, said as the village has no land of its own, it is not possible to build a road for them. However, an effort is on for constructing a road for the village in consultation with the residents of the adjoining villages, he said.
 
Contacted, Upazila Nirbahi Officer Amitabh Parag Talukdar said he has heard recently about the village and he will look into the matter.
 
He also assured the villagers of repairing their tube-well, now out of service.