Page:Nil Durpan.djvu/243

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posted for the major part of his life. It was only on special missions that Dinabandhu would be sent to Dacca or other places.

On his return from Dacca division Dinabandhu wrote his 'Nabin Tapaswini' which was printed in Krishnagore. The printing machine was set up by the efforts of Dinabandhu and a few other worthy persons, but it did not work for long.

Dinabandhu was again transferred from Nadia division to Dacca division, and thence to Orissa and from there to Nadia again. In fact he spent the major part of his life in Krishnagore where he purchased a house, too. Towards the end of 1869 or the early part of 1870 he came away from Krishnagore to Calcutta, appointed to the post of Supernumerary Inspecting Postmaster and as such it was his duty to assist the Postmaster General in his work. With the able assistance of Dinabandhu the Postal Department did satisfactory work for a few years. In 1871 Dinabandhu was sent to Cachhar to make necessary arrangements for postal service during the Lusahi War. After discharging this onerous duty successfully, he came back to Calcutta in a short time.

During his stay in Calcutta he was made a 'Rai Bahadur'. I am not competent to say how much gratified a person feels to receive this honour, but no other honour fell to the lot of Dinabandhu. That was because Dinabandhu was born to the race of Bengalis.

Amongst the officers of the Postal Department two were considered the most efficient—Dinabandhu and Suryanarayan. Suryanarayanbabu stayed in Assam, entrusted with the heavy responsibility of the postal service of that place, and whenever there was a difficult work to perform Dinabandhu would be called on to help. Such work took him to Dacca, Orissa, north-west of India, Darjeeling, Cachhar and several other places. As a result he had been to nearly all the areas of Bengal and Orissa, and a good many areas of Bihar, too. In the Postal Department the labour fell to the lot of Dinabandhu, and the reward, of course, to the lot of others.

If Dinabandhu were not a Bengali, he would have long before his death become the Postmaster General, and then the Director General. Such was his efficiency in work, and so wide was his understanding of things! But just as coal would take no other hue, so also to some people,

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