A train trip that set Shafikul on a new track of life

Back in 1989, seven-year-old Shafikul boarded a train compartment after school, mistakenly thinking it was an abandoned one. He had realised his mistake once the train started. It took him from Pahartali railway station to Chittagong.

He was lost. He could not find his way back home. That was in November or December. The seven-year-old boy was lost in the crowds and had been starving for days.

Losing all hope, Shafikul again boarded a Dhaka-bound train and arrived at Kamalapur railway station. He started working as a coolie for living.

His full name is Shafikul Islam Khan. He is the founder of the children rights organisation ‘Bhorer Alo’, a pioneer of children rights fighting against all odds.

Shafikul was his mother’s only hope after his father’s death. His mother was a worker in readymade garment factory.

Despite severe hardship, Shafikul proved his worth and has stood by a number of child victims till date through his organisation and given them hope to overcome their miserable condition.

This Prothom Alo correspondent talked to Shafikul Islam Khan on 18 November at one of the ‘Bhorer Alo’ branches at Kalam Colony in Chattogram’s Bakalia. There were some volunteers, all of them children, in the office room at the time. They were preparing for an awareness campaign dressed in costumes of popular cartoon characters Meena, Raju and Mithu.

Shafikul, also a journalist of a Chattogram-based daily newspaper, talked about his journey from being a stray child to becoming the founder of ‘Bhorer Alo’.

Defeating injury

Shafikul said, he severely injured his leg as he slipped from a running train while going to Tejgaon from Kamalapur one day. Wahida Banu, the chief executive of a voluntary organisation ‘Aparajeyo Bangladesh’ came forward to help him. He was treated by a foreign doctor and his leg was saved.

The incident changed his life. Aparajeyo Bangladesh became his new family. He passed SSC exam from Khilgaon Government High school, HSC from Khilgaon Model College and later completed his graduation from Chittagong City College.

Shafikul involved himself with various programmes including that of Save the Children and UNICEF on child rights while staying Aparajeyo Bangladesh dormitory.

He started ‘Bhorer Alo’ along with other fellow volunteers in Dhaka in 2001. Private television channel Ekushey TV and Bangladesh Television aired two reports at the time. His mother saw him on TV and came to his dormitory in 2002. Shafikul was overwhelmed seeing his mother.

He left Dhaka to stay with his mother in 2004 and was admitted to Chittagong City College the same year. He also started over ‘Bhorer Alo’ in Chattogram in 2007.

Meena, Raju and Mithu at the door

At afternoon on 18 December, few children from Kalam colony, a slum area, were having fun with Meena Raju and Mithu, three characters of popular cartoon Meena. The three volunteers dressed in the cartoon costumes were asking the children, “Do you wash your hands well before your meals?” or “Do you file your nails regularly?”. The children replied “Yes!”

A housewife at the colony Amena Begum said, “I sent my younger son to school after their counselling.”

The girl in Meena costume Salma said, she passed the HSC exam this year.

“I was brought up in this colony. People here are not conscious. ‘Bhorer Alo’ makes them aware of many things through their campaign,” she added.

Helping the victims

It was in 2009. An 11-year old girl was kidnapped and raped for 21 days by miscreants. She was left in front of her house dying when some of the ‘Bhorer Alo’ volunteers saw her.

Shafikul rushed her to the hospital. It took her four months to recover. She is now 21-year old and became self-dependent, trained in sewing by ‘Bhorer Alo’.

So far, 26 children were provided training in nursing. As many as 84 trainees received computer training while more than 200 girls were provided with sewing and handicraft training.

‘Bhorer Alo’ in the Hill Tracts

‘Bhorer Alo’ now operates in the three hill districts. It has arranged awareness meetings with students from more than 60 schools in these districts.

Shafikul dreams of building a institution for information and technology  to provide necessary training to the marginalised children.

“We did not have any office earlier. I recently opened a two-room office. The organisation is run with a portion of my salary and donations by the members,” said Shafikul Islam Khan.

*This piece, originally published in Prothom Alo print edition, has been rewritten in English by Farjana Liakat