Yoghurt-seller by day, literacy champion throughout

It is not often that one gets to associate the Ekushey Padak with the likes of a yoghurt-seller.

One may ask, why a yoghurt-seller?

However, in the case of 90-year-old Ziaul Haque from Chapainawabganj, it was making and selling yoghurts that allowed him to transform the lives of children in and beyond his village – gaining him the recognition of a literacy champion.

Ziaul was forced to give up on his education just after finishing primary school due to his family's financial struggles. At the tender age of 11, he joined his father in selling yoghurt to make ends meet.

However, his desire for knowledge and literacy never left his side. Instead, he used it to dedicate his life to keep others from being deprived of education.

Speaking to this correspondent yesterday, Ziaul, who lives in Mushribhuja village in Chapainawabganj's Bholahat upazila, expressed his joy at being one of this year's Ekushey Padak awardees.

"My heart is overflowing with a joy so profound that I don't even know how to contain it!"

Ziaul was born on June 6, 1934, to local dairyman Taiyab Ali Mollah and his wife Sharikun Nessa.

"Back in 1955, Tk 1 could fetch five kilograms of rice…. My father was unable to afford my education while taking care of a six-member family. So, he asked me to leave school and join his work. He gave me milk; I made yoghurt from it and sold it."

Three years later, he got married to his cousin Saraban Tohura, with whom he had two daughters.  

Ziaul spent his days walking from town to town to sell yoghurt. For five continuous years, he saved up all the money he had earned from doing so.

"Back then, there were only a few yoghurt-sellers around apart from us, and so I was able to earn and save a good amount of money."      

He was then confronted with two choices: To keep the money and live a good life, or to put it to other use.

"Though I had enough money to buy a land for myself, I decided not to bask in that luxury. I instead chose to make use of the money to ensure help for those struggling to continue education."

With his savings, Ziaul began buying textbooks and distributing them among the students of Mushribhuja Primary School in his village.

"When Sheikh Hasina's government made [primary and secondary] school textbooks free, I began donating to high school and college students and dropouts."

However, something inside Ziaul told him textbooks were not enough.

"I realised that societies don't flourish only through academic textbooks. So, I began buying storybooks, novels, books of poetry, non-fiction, and religion as well."

With 14,000 books, he ultimately went on to build a library in his home and named it "Ziaul Haque General Library".

Saving Tk 50,000-1,50,000 per year, he used it all on helping those who may suffer the same fate as he did.

People soon began noticing Ziaul's social activities. Inspired, many people and organisations came forward with donations.

"With those donations, I was able to expand my work."

Even before the government's Ashrayan project, he built and provided tin-roofed homes for 17 poverty-ridden people in his area.

He then went on to set up the Mushribhuja School and College in his village, along with seven madrasas and three orphanges. He installed 17 tube-wells in different areas of the Barind region that were facing drinking water crisis.

He even organised eye camps, where some 72 people were given free cataract surgeries.

Every year, he donates Tk 20,000-50,000 to the institutions he established.

Now, at least 450 students, who Ziaul had provided books to, are serving in different government and private institutions across the country, he said.

One day in 2004, Ziaul was having lunch at a streetside restaurant in Mohishalbari area of Rajshahi's Godagari upazila when a man, who looked like a beggar, appeared.

"The man didn't utter a single word. His hair and clothes were smeared with so much dirt, the restaurant owner was about to kick him out."

Ziaul took pity and sat the beggar next to him at his table, fed him and took care of him for the day.

After a year, Unilever Bangladesh awarded him with the "Shada Moner Manush" award.

"At the award ceremony, which was held in Dhaka's Sheraton Hotel, a man approached me and asked if I could recognise him. He was the 'beggar' from that restaurant! He was actually a Unilever official named Nawshad Karim, who came disguised as a beggar to see if I'm someone they could give this award to."

After the death of his first wife, he married Farida Haque in 2004. Their son Mohabbat Haque is currently an HSC student.

Between 1962 and 2023, Ziaul spent a whopping Tk 3.75 crore in helping others.

However, his noble works were not always appreciated.

"Some people who lived in my area were furious. They feared they will face a crisis of house helps or farmhands if I continue to educate the children. They tried to burn down my house and library as well, for which I had to shift from Chama Mushribhuja to Mushribhuja Bottola area."

Contacted, Md Rashedul Islam, upazila nirbahi officer of Bholahat, said, "His own efforts earned him countrywide fame and the prestigious medal for social service."

Ziaul is set to receive his award from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Ekushey Padak award ceremony at Suhrawardy Udyan on the eve of February 20.

"When I meet the prime minister, I will urge her to nationalise Mushribhuja School and College and also ask for help to furnish my library."