Bilkis Banu, mother to 74 children

Biologically, she is a mother of two. But  she is known to be a mother to 74 children, all of whom are growing up and getting all their needs fulfilled under her care.

This is the story of Bilkis Banu, popularly known as the mother of orphans in Kurigram's Nageshwari upazila.

Forty-eight-year-old Bilkis started teaching orphans and underprivileged children back in 1998, after completing her higher secondary education.

In 2009, she established Golap Khan Shishu Sadan at College Para area, from her deeply-rooted love for these children. Back then, there were only 13 children in the orphanage.

Shishu Sadan is currently an abode for 74 children, of whom, 24 are girls and 50 boys.

"I feel boundless joy when the children call me Maa," she told this correspondent.

Bilkis' love did not only end with rehabilitating these children. As someone who realised the importance of education, she established a primary school in 2012 and a secondary school in 2014 to ensure that underprivileged children of the area have access to education.

Around 300 children are currently studying free of cost at the two schools with 20 teachers and eight staffers.

Asked how she is financing the schools and orphanage, Bilkis informed that she owns a market in the upazila, where she rents out spaces to different shops.

Besides, she has set up a girls' hostel for college students.

"The amount I earn from the market and the hostel are not enough to run the schools and orphanage. We can only meet half of the total expenses; the rest comes from donations," said Bilkis.

"However, things got particularly difficult during and after the pandemic," she added.

Amir Hossain Rana, a resident at Shishu Sadan, said, "I could complete my higher secondary only because of Maa [Bilkis]. I want to get into a public university and make her proud."

Bilkis' husband Rabiul Islam, a retired professor, said his wife loves to spend most of her time with the children at Shishu Sadan.

"It's upsetting for us to not be able to provide proper care to the children due to financial crisis. Sometimes, we get GR (general relief) rice from the district administration, which is not sufficient. We need more support from the government," he said.

Contacted, Nageshwari UNO Farjana Jahan said she would soon visit the orphanage and take necessary steps to extend more cooperation from the local administration.