Mason’s meritorious daughter dreams to become doctor

The dream of Mahbuba Khatun, a meritorious daughter of a mason from Manirampur upazila of Jashore, to be a physician is under threat due to poverty.

Second of three siblings, Mahbuba secured GPA 5 in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations from Madhupur Bahadurpur Secondary School in the upazila this year.

Her elder sister Habiba Khatun is doing masters in mathematics at Govt MM College in Jashore while younger brother Ahmed Ullah is a seventh grader at Madhupur Bahadurpur Secondary School.

Mahbuba’s father Abul Hossain said, “I earn only Tk 500 a day working as a mason. It is tough to run the family with that money. The elder daughter is doing her masters while the younger daughter wants to be a physician. I need to admit her in a good college. Don’t know what will happen finally.”

Her mother Beauty Begum said, “We’re grappling with poverty... We take land as lease from others and produce six months' food and buy food for another six months every year. Meeting education expenses of three children is tough. Amid all this Mahbuba wants to be a doctor.”

The poverty could be a serious threat to realise her dreams but Mahbuba is determined.

“I want to be a physician whatever it takes. For this I want to take admission in a good college. I’ll work as a private tutor, if needs be, but I’ll try hard (to be a doctor),” she said.

Head teacher of Madhupur Bahadurpur Secondary School Md Mohsin said, “Mahbuba is a meritorious student and she is well-behaved. Since she is from a poor family, a bit of assistance would help flourish her merit.”

*This report, originally published in print edition of Prothom Alo, has been rewritten in English by Shameem Reza