A tale of resilience and grit

Balayet Sheikh from Gazipur's Mawna had a long-held dream of roaming the corridors of Dhaka University (DU) as a student. But unfortunately for him, life had gotten in the way.

At the age of 55, Balayet is finally getting a chance to fight for his dream. He will be sitting for the admission exam today under the social sciences faculty (D unit).

In a Facebook post, Balayet sought prayers from his kin and expressed his gratitude to those involved in his journey, as his fate is set to get tested in room 802 of the mathematics department.

On May 22, US embassy in Dhaka wished Balayet ahead of the test.

In 1983, he first took preparation to sit for Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination but could not complete registration owing to financial insolvency. He tried again in 1988, but couldn't sit for the SSC exam  due to floods across the country.

After months, he started his career as a photographer. At present, he is a correspondent for Daily Karatoa.

Balayet later decided to discontinue his education.

As a father of three, he had decided to set an example for his children and turn things around for himself.

In 2019, the indomitable Balayet finally passed the SSC exam and in 2021 completed his Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination.