Visually impaired teacher passes SSC with GPA 4.88

Congenitally blind Fazlul Haque, who has been teaching voluntarily at a primary school and a junior high school at remote Char Khatamari village in Sadar upazila since 2013, passed his Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations this year.

The blind youth from a poor family in Dharla river basin area got inspired following a report published on The Daily Star titled ‘Tale of a visually impaired teacher’ on November 10, 2015.

Fazlul appeared in the SSC examination from Punat High School in Joypurhat’s Kalai upazila this year and obtained GPA 4.88 from Humanity group.

Seeing his success, his poor family members are very happy now.

Twenty-two-year-old Fazlul, who was blind at birth, studied Braille from 2005 to 2009 at RDRS Bangladesh, an NGO in Haribhanga area in Lalmonirhat town and completed the fifth grade there.

Although he could not continue his studies at school due to poverty, he wanted to study further.

After the report was published on The Daily Star in 2015, he regains his inspiration to study once again. He took admission in Class VIII in 2016 and passed the SSC exams this year.

“After the report published on the newspaper, many kind hearted people contacted me and inspired me for higher education,” Fazlul said, adding that later taking help from the visual impaired rehabilitation centre in Joypurhat he passed his SSC this year.

Fazlul said he will continue his study to reach his destination.

“I want to be an ideal teacher and also want to teach the students until my death,” he said.     

Headmaster Abdus Samad of Char Khatamari Government Primary School said, “Fazlul is a brilliant teacher and students never act up when he is teaching.”

Noor Islam, headmaster of the Junior High School, said they were impressed with Fazlul’s teaching method and he has become a popular teacher in the school.

Contacted, District Education Officer (DEO) Abdul Aziz said if the institutions concerned approved his teaching quality and ability there is no problem from their side.

Fazlul’s father Mozahar Ali, a fisherman, said though earlier he was worried about his son’s future, he is now hopeful of a better future waiting for him.

“I feel proud of our son when people welcome me as Fazlul’s father,” Mozahar said, adding that they have their house on a government Khas land and live hand to mouth.