Promising botanical scientist fighting for life
Rafiqul Islam has always been passionate about species, their origins and features. To pursue that passion, he chose to study botany and later joined academia and began researching the ways of conserving biodiversity.
After graduating in botanical science from Jahangirnagar University, he joined Kolaroa Government College in Satkhira as a lecturer in 2010.
Rafiqul, 38, along with other botanical scientists from various countries, visited remote parts of the world, including the dark caves and forests in Queensland of Australia, Malaysia Peninsula, Indonesia and tropical rain forest in Papua New Guinea to study the mysteries of original microbes and species.
Anna Elenor, his co-researcher, in a Facebook post, said a number of his researches have been accepted for publication that may open up new avenues for saving the decaying biodiversity.
But the promising botanical scientist is now fighting for his life. In early 2016, he was diagnosed with life-threatening cancer.
Before leaving for Singapore on March 20, 2016, he wrote on his Facebook: “Leaving all. I don't know if I can return. Please pray for me...”
The next day, doctors at Mount Elizabeth Hospital found Sarcomatoid Renal Cell Carcinoma, one of the most complex forms of cancer, in his kidney.
Rafiqul underwent four surgeries, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Though he returned home, he had to visit the hospital every three months. He went there early September, but unfortunately was diagnosed with brain cancer, said Rafiqul's wife Shahnaz Parvin yesterday.
Doctors said he may need two more rounds of chemo-radiation therapy before an evaluation on October 7.
In the last two and a half years, more than Tk 2 crore has been spent. Most of it came from his friends and colleagues, said Shahnaz, lecturer of a college.
After the latest surgery, the hospital has bills worth 60,000 Singapore dollars (more than Tk 50 lakh) due. For the next 15 days, bill for each day would be 5,000 Singapore dollars (more than Tk 42,000), said Shahnaz, mother of an eight-year-old.
Friends of Rafiqul have opened a Facebook page -- Rafiq-er Jonno Amra [we are for Rafiq] -- and are organising charity events. “We will arrange a fundraising concert at Daffodil University on October 12,” said his friend Mintoo Shamrat.
Any amount in help can be sent to Shahnaz Parvin, account no 114-101-148720, DBBL Mohakhali Branch, Dhaka.
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