Defying odds, they bring glory to community

Twelve boys of the backward Harijan community in different upazilas of Dinajpur and Nilphamari districts passed their SSC examinations this year under Dinajpur Education Board and Bangladesh Technical Education Board. Eight of them were students of Parbatipur Technical School and College and the rest four were students of Haldibari High School in Parbatipur upazila of Dinajpur.

The boys, with their GPA, are Alal Bashfor (4.46), of Parbatipur upazila of Dinajpur; Tazel Hrishi (3.83), Joydev Hrishi (3.83) and Ulal Hrishi (4.14) of Hrishipara village under Syedpur upazila of Nilphamari; Sonjoy Bashfor of Surki area under Syedpur Municipality (4.14); Nayan Bashfor (4.17) and Roki Kumar Bashfor (4.43) of Sujalpur village under Phulbari upazila of Dinajpur; and Shiva Bashfor (4.57), Ajoy Bashfor (4.32) Rabilal Bashfor (4.50), Sohag Bashfor (4.29) and Sanjit Kumar Bashfor (4.39) of Babupara village in Parbatipur Municipality area of Dinajpur.

Talking with this reporter, four of them said they want to be engineers, while the rest want to be teachers, army men and policemen. Their parents told this correspondent that the boys were the first generation in their community to pass the SSC examinations.

Grambikash, a Dinajpur-based non-governmental organisation, paid their educational expenses under a project titled Holistic Opportunity for Meritorious Students, which started functioning in 2009.

Dilip Haldar, superintendent of the NGO, told this correspondent that they took care of these students from Class V, with residential arrangement. They have 52 students, of whom 23 are female, under the project. "These students should get more help for their higher education," he added.

Sufia Rani Bashfor, mother of Alal Bashfor, said he was the only one to pass SSC examination in their generation. She thanked Grambikash for their help and cooperation.