Award for the heroes on the wheels

Invention of wheel accelerated the pace of human civilisation. Jahiron Bewa, 90, and SM Alamgir Hossain Shrabon, 33, have reminded it again, emphatically, by using the wheels to serve humanity.

One, a trained nurse, has been serving patients from one village to another by using her bicycle for the last 44 years. The other, a UP member, has been carrying books on his rickshaw van, lending books to people in his locality, since being elected two years ago.

“I treat people for common diseases like fever and cold. If I find complicated cases, I take them to the hospital, some 40 miles away from my home,” said Jahiron, from Aditmari upazila in Lalmonirhat.

“I want a hospital in my area so people can get better healthcare services,” she said, as she went up to the stage with a bicycle at The Daily Star's 27th anniversary gala at the International Convention City Bashundhara yesterday.

Shrabon, an extraordinary public representative from Khulna, said he wanted to eradicate poverty through education. 

“I want to present a modern, digital village in Bangladesh by 2020,” said Shrabon, a dreamer and source of inspiration to people in Noihati union under Rupsha upazila.

Addressing the two, The Daily Star Editor and Publisher Mahfuz Anam said, “We find hope when we find people like them. We get new strength.”

The paper recognised them with a reward of Tk 1 lakh each as the audience cheered in a glittering ceremony attended by a galaxy of leaders from politics to business, academics, diplomats, lawyers, civil society members and journalists.

Six youths who made and continue to make significant contribution to social transformation were also recognised at the event moderated by The Daily Star's Arts and Entertainment Editor Sadya Afreen Mallick.

They are Tawhidul Islam, Musfika Akter Bithe, Tahua Labib Tura, Salma Sultana, Mohan Rabidas and Zaiba Tahyya.

The celebration with the theme “Journalism without Fear or Favour” began with the national anthem followed by screening of a documentary on the glorious history of Bangladesh and the achievements the country made. This was followed by rendition of patriotic songs.

Paying a tribute to these change makers, Mahfuz Anam said people like them were striving to build a prosperous Bangladesh, and The Daily Star was proud to honour them.

Bangladesh has a great future, especially when people like them work relentlessly for the wellbeing of their fellow brothers and sisters, he noted. 

However, freedom of media is crucial for the country's development. Restrictive laws such as the proposed Digital Security Act, which affect media freedom, will not help this cause, he said.

Constitutions around the world protect only two professions -- journalism and judiciary -- one working as a watchdog and the other ensuring justice, he added.

“The government implements many large projects and takes up various policies. How does the government know that it is working properly?” Mahfuz said, adding that only the free media, and not bureaucrats, can inform the government. 

Some people say development should come first and democracy afterwards, but this idea is flawed, he said.

Democracy and development go hand in hand. If it goes hand in hand, development works for the people, otherwise it does not,” he added.

The Daily Star holds the values of the Liberation War -- democracy, freedom, justice, good governance -- and will always work to promote these values, he said. “Bangladesh will not prosper without free media.”

Rokia Afzal Rahman, chairperson of Mediaworld Ltd, the owning company of The Daily Star, said institutionalisation of democracy and private sector-driven economic growth were the two pillars of development.

Merit-based bureaucracy, independent judiciary and a functional parliament are crucial for the country's progress, she said.

Media freedom is extremely important for the country's development, and The Daily Star has been relentlessly working towards that end, she added.

However, the media is facing many challenges, including that of ethical journalism and digitisation. Digital media is eating up a good portion of the print advertisement, she said.

“Yet, we are trying to overcome all these challenges to serve our readers,” Rokia said.

Among the distinguished guests were Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain, Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, former chief election commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda, Centre for Policy Dialogue's Distinguished Fellow Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, former adviser to a caretaker government Geeteara Safia Choudhury, BNP leaders Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Moudud Ahmed, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Inam Ahmed Chowdhury and Abdullah Al Noman, rights activist Hamida Hossain, former diplomat Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Zafrullah Chowdhury, US Ambassador Marcia Bernicat, French Ambassador Marie-Annick BOURDIN, German Ambassador Thomas Prinz, Dutch Ambassador Bea ten Tusscher, actress Sarah Begum Kabari, columnist Syed Abul Maksud and noted magician Jewel Aich.

The  Two  Awardees

Compassion is one of the strongest characteristics humans can posses. It is a trait that can be present in almost everyone. While all beings are able to show it, some go the extra mile.

One such individual is 90-year old Jahiron Bewa. She can be seen moving from one house to another on a bicycle from morning till afternoon.

She cycles all around to provide villagers across Aditmari upazila of Lalmonirhat free medical consultation regarding common ailments. For major diseases, she refers patients to hospitals.

The locals have affectionately given her the title of “Banglar Nani (Grandmother of Bangladesh)”.

Jahiron has been providing the service to the inhabitants of the upazila for the last 44 years.

She completed a six-month training course on healthcare and family planning in 1973, following which she began working as a local health worker for the next decade. Jahiron provides free medical advice and even medicines.

Although, selling medicine is a source of income for her she does not deny medication to those who cannot afford it.

Jahiron, a mother of three, faced one of the biggest tragedies a mother can when her eldest son, Danes Ali, passed away eight years ago at the age of 66. Six years ago she lost her husband.

However, this did not prevent her from carrying on her work. She has passionately pursued her work, covering almost 30 villages every month.

While she earns Tk 150 per day from selling medicine, money is not her motivation at all. Her sons insist that they have enough farmland and do not need the additional income.

But Jahiron is unstoppable and pursues her work relentlessly. 

The nongenarian's dream is to provide healthcare services to the villagers in Aditmari until her final breath, until the wheels of her cycle keep spinning. 

In an exceptional endeavour, Union Parishad Member SM Alamgir Hossain Shrabon of Noihati in Khulna's Rupsha upazila began a mobile library on a rickshaw van.

He pedals the library from village to village, lending books to school and college students, housewives and villagers of various occupations.

A history graduate, Shrabon was elected as a public representative on March 22, 2016. Since then, he swore to work to rid this union of social degradation caused by     drugs, eve-teasing and unsavoury politics.

Shrabon, who was the youngest among the 12 candidates in the election, began the library that currently boasts over a thousand books-- starting from Hindu law to science, Microsoft Access to Khulna's history. Some books have been donated while he himself bought many others.

Owner of a modest event management company, Shrabon says some people mock him as he pedals the van to the villages. “I'll never lose my determination to enlighten people,” he says, echoing the motto on his van: “Alo Footbei [There will surely be light]”.

The library is not his only initiative. He has established two training centres where hundreds of women learn weaving, handicrafts, tailoring and more.

He also established an information technology club that offers free IT courses and arranged solar lights with closed circuit cameras in key areas of his union to improve law and order. He has also overseen the creation of public wi-fi hotspots to encourage online learning.

“I want to eradicate poverty through education,” Shrabon said.

He is available for consultation at the union council chamber every morning. He has publicly invited all 70,000 plus union constituents to bring their problems to his door.

“I want to take my mission to help people from the local to the upazila level, then district-wide and ultimately, across the nation.”

The Young Change makers

Md. Tawhidul Islam

Muhammad Tawhidul Islam is the winner of the reality show Udbhaboker Khoje 2017, organised by a2i. His project called “Production of Fuel and Charcoal from Polythene and Plastic”, aims to add to the economic development of Bangladesh by producing fuel from polythene and related substances in order to reduce waste materials from the environment.

Musfika Akter Bithe

Musfika Akter Bithe is a gymnast who won the championship title for four consecutive years at the national level gymnastics competition (from 2010 to 2014), organised by Bangladesh Gymnastics Federation. Amongst various achievements, her success in Sultana Kamal Central South Asian Gymnastics Competition and Bangladesh Games are worthy of mention.

Dr. Salma Sultana 

Doctor Salma Sultana is a veterinarian who founded the non-profit organisation called “Model Livestock Advancement Foundation”.  The vocational training institute trains unemployed youth of Bangladesh and encourages them to become livestock service providers.

Tahua Labib Tura 

Tahua Labib Tura is the founder of “Street Children Theatre”,  an initiative for underprivileged children to give them opportunities regarding cultural and theatre activities.

Musa Karim Ripon and Saiful Islam Musa

Musa Karim Ripon and Saiful Islam Musa are the founders of the non-profit organisation called Cancer Awareness Programme for Women (CAP). The initiative aims to educate the underprivileged citizens of Bangladesh about breast cancer and cervical cancer.

Mohan Rabidas

Mohan Rabidas is the founder of Jagoron Youth Forum, which works to ensure a better future for the youth of the tea working community.

Zaiba Tahyya

Zaiba Tahyaa is the founder of Project Attorokkha. The initiative provides self-defence training in urban areas. For exceptional achievements in transforming lives, Zaiba Tahyya has won The Queen's Young Leaders 2018 award.