Prime Bank Foundation recognises merit, effort
She was not even sure if she would be able to sit for her Secondary School Certificate exam some four years ago for she had no money to pay for the fees. Coming from an insolvent family, she could not afford lunch at college most of the time. With an empty stomach she waited till classes ended in the afternoon to go home and have something.
But with sheer determination and assistance from relatives and friends, Bashonti Biswas not only achieved GPA 5 in both SSC and Higher Secondary School exams but also got enrolled at Dinajpur Medical College.
However, even before she had enrolled to become a doctor, family members had become alarmed on hearing that she required Tk 12,000 for admission fees, suggesting she stop studying.
But her endeavours were facilitated by her mother who took loan from a microcredit organisation alongside her teachers and friends who provided monetary assistance.
“A few years later I will become a doctor, something I have been dreaming about since childhood. In the future, my aim is to assist disadvantaged students like me,” she added.
The inhabitant of Kelta village under Dhigolia upazila of Khula was talking to The Daily Star yesterday in the capital's LGED auditorium where Prime Bank Foundation provided stipends to her and 400 other disadvantaged children from around the country.
Addressing the ceremony, Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman called upon all private banks to help disadvantaged students under their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) schemes.
The government will soon formulate a CSR policy to impose some obligations on banks towards the betterment of the underprivileged section of society.
On ensuring good governance in the economic sector, he warned that chief executive officers and board of directors of banks will be removed if any irregularity like the Hallmark scam takes place.
Prime Bank Ltd Chairman Azam J Chowdhury chaired the function while eminent jurist Rafiq-Ul-Huq and noted educationist Prof Abdullah Abu Sayeed spoke among others.
Since 2007, the Prime Bank Foundation under its Education Support Programme has provided stipends to 2,072 students who are meritorious and come from underprivileged families. Of them, 174 already got themselves respectable jobs.
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