Supporting the less-fortunate, in loving memory of Samia

Days before she would attend her graduation ceremony at Dhaka University, Samia Sarwar's life was cut short at the age of 24 as a speedy bus crashed into her car on August 24, 2018.

Samia was a compassionate, empathetic person throughout her life, reminisce her friends and family. In her loving memory, her family have launched a campaign by the Samia Sarwar Foundation with the help of LaunchGood UK, and initially plan to raise £5,000 [around Tk 5.66 lakh] to support 100 families in the slums of Dhaka amid the global pandemic.

"Each family will get a one-time support for a month of £50 [around Tk 5,500]. We hope Samia, wherever she is, will find some peace in this," said her sister Sumaiya Binte Sarwar. She urged all to visit the website to learn more about the initiative.

Samia Sarwar was on a vacation and heading towards Cox's Bazar with her family members when the tragedy struck on a highway near the tourist destination. Her sister, brother, his wife and their four-year-old son were grievously injured and they narrowly survived.

Those who knew Samia remember her as a kind and loving human being, a person who would always put others' needs before her own, says her sister Sumaiya.

"While Samia was a student at DU's IBA, one day she gave a rickshaw puller Tk 5,000, which she had earned from private tuitions. She would often talk about her desire to do something for those in need after completing her academic life," added Sumaiya, who had suffered severe injuries in the accident.

With Samia gone, her family is now trying to fulfill that desire through this charitable initiative.