Indomitable Samrat

A boy has proved that physical disability is no barrier to gaining knowledge if one has determination and mental strength.

Physically challenged Mohammad Samrat, 14, a student of Abdullahel Baki High School, is taking part in this year's Junior School Certificate (JSC) examinations at the Govinda Government High School centre in Basail upazila in the district.

Samrat, youngest of four children of Habibur Rahman and Shukuri Begum of Tenguriapara village, was born with deformed legs and a weak body like his elder sister.

Since his childhood, Samrat did not want to sit idle but showed his keen interest in going to school for getting education.

"I never thought of educating my physically challenged son, but he remained adamant to go to school. Due to his determination, my wife started taking Samrat to the local primary school,” Habibur said.

Samrat passed the Primary Terminal Examination successfully with Grade "A" and later took admission to the high school in Class VI.

When talking to journalists, prior to the JSC examination, Samrat expressed his hope of doing good results. He expressed his determination to continue studies and his desire to be a teacher.

His father runs a small tea stall in a local market and has a house on two and a half decimals of land.

"We went to many doctors, including Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed in Savar, who told us that Samrat had a complicated disease which is not curable," mother Shukuri Begum said.

"They advised us to feed him nutritious food for increasing his physical strength which we cannot afford with our little income," she added.

"Though physically challenged, Samrat is very strong mentally. As he used to come to school regularly, either crawling or in his mother's arms, the school authorities gave him a wheelchair," said Headmaster SM Abdus Samad.

"The challenged children are not burden for the society at all. They can also run with the mainstream rather than dropping out if they get proper care, including education and training," said Shamsunnahar Swapna, Basail upazila nirbahi officer.

"The teachers have been asked to keep an eye on Samrat so that he does not face any problem during the exams," she added.