Tanvir Rahman, the son of a middle-class schoolteacher, grew up in a village without electricity, studying late into the night by the light of a kerosene lamp and candles. Overcoming those hardships, the young man from Netrokona has secured first place in the Foreign Service cadre in his very first Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination.
In the results of the 47th BCS examination, published on Sunday, Tanvir ranked first in the Foreign Service cadre. His achievement has brought immense joy to his family, relatives and the local community.
Tanvir is the eldest son of Abdur Rahman and Rina Parveen of Raydum Bagra village in Netrokona Sadar upazila. His father is the head teacher of Shamsuddin Government Primary School in Netrokona, while his mother is a homemaker. He is the eldest of three siblings.
His younger sister Afsana Rahman is a third-year mathematics student at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology while his youngest sister Nuzhat-i-Rahman is in the second year of higher secondary studies at Netrokona Government Women's College.
Family members and local residents said Tanvir had been a dedicated student from an early age while also taking an interest in sports. At that time, there was no electricity in the area, so he had to study by the light of a kerosene lamp or candles. Despite the family’s modest means, he never stopped dreaming.
His father, Abdur Rahman, became emotional while speaking about his son’s success. “As soon as I heard the results, I offered thanks to Almighty Allah. I have nothing more to ask for. Allah has given me even more than I ever wished for,” he said.
Recalling those difficult days, Tanvir’s mother, Rina Parveen, said, “We had a small tin-roofed house where all of us had to live, eat and study together. Despite all the hardships, Tanvir never gave up.”
“From childhood, he never wasted time in idle gossip or unnecessary activities. Even now, whenever he comes home, he spends most of his time with me. His dedication, discipline and hard work are the foundation of today’s success,” she added.
Tanvir enrolled at Mirzapur Cadet College in Tangail, where he passed his Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination in 2017 and Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination in 2019.
After completing higher secondary education, he joined the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), graduating in 2025. On 1 June the same year, he began his career as a lecturer at BRAC University.
Alongside his teaching career, he continued preparing for the BCS examination and achieved the rare distinction of ranking first in the Foreign Service cadre on his first attempt. Earlier, he had been recommended for the Information and Communication Technology discipline under the Education cadre in the 49th Special BCS.
Speaking to Prothom Alo by phone on Wednesday evening, Tanvir said, “I wanted to become a teacher from my university days. As my father is a teacher, I have always had great respect for the profession. I applied for teaching positions at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology and Bangladesh Agricultural University but was not selected. Still, I was confident that I would succeed. I never imagined I would finish first.”
Offering advice to aspiring candidates, he said, “I believe consistency is essential in any endeavour. With faith in the Creator, discipline and sincerity, even the most difficult tasks become achievable.”
Local resident Kamal Hossain said, “Tanvir has proved that fulfilling big dreams does not require wealth; it requires determination, perseverance and hard work. We hope he will serve the country’s Foreign Service with distinction and further enhance Bangladesh’s image on the international level.”