Ferdousi: A torchbearer of education | The Daily Star
Skip to main content
T
Friday, September 29, 2023
The Daily Star
E-paper Today's News বাংলা
  • Home
  • News
    • Bangladesh
      • Investigative Stories
    • Investigative Stories
    • Asia
    • World
  • Opinion
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Culture
  • Life & Living
  • Youth
  • Tech & Startup
  • Multimedia
  • Feature
    • Lifestyle
    • Rising Star
    • Showbiz
    • My Dhaka
    • Satireday
    • Campus
    • Toggle
    • Star Literature
    • In Focus
    • Star Youth
    • Shift
    • Daily Star Books
    • Roundtables
    • Star Holiday
    • weekend read
  • More
    • Environment
    • NRB
    • Supplements
    • Law & Our Rights
  • E-paper
  • বাংলা
Search Epaper T
  • Today's News
  • Home
  • News
    • Bangladesh
    • Investigative Stories
    • Asia
    • World
  • Opinion
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Culture
  • Life & Living
  • Youth
  • Tech & Startup
  • Multimedia
  • Feature
    • Lifestyle
    • Rising Star
    • Showbiz
    • My Dhaka
    • Satireday
    • Campus
    • Toggle
    • Star Literature
    • In Focus
    • Star Youth
    • Shift
    • Daily Star Books
    • Roundtables
    • Star Holiday
    • weekend read
  • More
    • Environment
    • NRB
    • Supplements
    • Law & Our Rights

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Apps
  • Comment Policy
  • RSS
  • Sitemap
  • Advertisement
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy Policy
  • Conference Hall
  • Archives
Change Makers
S Dilip Roy
Thu Mar 12, 2020 12:00 AM
Last update on: Thu Mar 12, 2020 02:37 AM

Most Viewed

  • BB moves to stem slide in reserve

  • Shakib likens Tamim's behaviour to a child's antics

  • Bashundhara seeks to invest in Teletalk

  • ‘Nasty game, not injury, behind my exclusion’

Change Makers

Ferdousi: A torchbearer of education

Daughter of a freedom fighter, she provides free uniform and stationery to children of two schools she established in a remote village
S Dilip Roy
Thu Mar 12, 2020 12:00 AM Last update on: Thu Mar 12, 2020 02:37 AM
Ferdousi Begum with students of Paschim Barua Government Primary School in Paschim Barua village of Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila. Photo: Star

Paschim Barua village used to be pervaded by some typical social ills -- superstition, child marriage, and child labour. A remote village of 20,000 people in Kulaghat union of Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila, it has now been transformed by education.

Villagers have built awareness against such social ills and on the importance of sending their children to school for learning.

For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.

All this has come about in the village, say locals, since the establishment of two educational institutions -- Paschim Barua Government Primary School and Paschim Barua Rotary High School. 

 While visiting the village from Lalmonirhat town around a decade ago, Ferdousi Begum, a poet and social worker, noticed children working in the fields rather than going to school. She then set up the schools there.

"We were not able to study before. Our children aren't literate but our grandchildren are now studying," said 97-year-old villager Moyez Uddin.

"This is good. I did not understand the importance of education before." 

 Though there are many wealthy villagers in Paschim Barua, they did not think about taking such an initiative for the rest of the villages as they sent their own children to town to study, said another villager, 98-year-old Subal Chandra Mohanta.

"Children of poor families grew up illiterate before. Now, the light of education has spread across the village where once these children used to work in the fields instead of reading books," he said. 

 Ferdousi works as an accountant in a private company and spends around 80 percent of her income in these philanthropic endeavours, which have been instrumental in bringing about social reform in Paschim Barua.

Ferdousi, 48, is daughter of late freedom fighter Ayet Ali Bhuiyan and late Hasnara Bhuiyan of Saptana road in Lalmonirhat town. Her husband, Matiar Rahman, is a noted lawyer in Zila Parishad area of the town.

"My husband inspires and supports me in my social work. As long as I live, I will continue working for the society," said Ferdousi.

The majority of the students in the schools are from relatively poor families in the village. Ferdousi also helps pay for clothing and other accessories the children need for school.

Ferdousi is not just working to educate children in Paschim Barua. Her social work also includes providing financial assistance and connecting homeless women and women freedom fighters with legal assistance. 

Apple Google
Click to comment

Comments

Comments Policy
|রাজনীতি

খালেদা জিয়ার বিদেশে যাওয়ার অনুমতির আবেদন বিষয়ে মতামত শিগগির: আইনমন্ত্রী

মঙ্গলবার স্বরাষ্ট্র মন্ত্রণালয় আবেদনটি আইন মন্ত্রণালয়ে পাঠিয়েছে

৫ ঘণ্টা আগে
|রাজনীতি

বিএনপি অংশ না নিলেও নির্বাচন থেমে থাকবে না: সালমান এফ রহমান

৪ ঘণ্টা আগে
Please Click on allow
The Daily Star
Journalism without fear or favour
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Apps
  • Comment Policy
  • RSS
  • Sitemap
  • Advertisement
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy Policy
  • Conference Hall
  • Archives
© 2023 thedailystar.net | Powered by: RSI LAB
Copyright: Any unauthorized use or reproduction of The Daily Star content for commercial purposes is strictly prohibited and constitutes copyright infringement liable to legal action.
X