10 daughters of tea labourers get ‘Adwitiya scholarship’

10 students received the certificates and gift items on Wednesday at an event held at Sreemongal, Moulvibazar.
Shimul Tarafdar

Bristy Adhikari grew up at a tea garden of Kulaura in Moulvibazar, a place where early marriage is prevalence. But braving all kinds of difficulties, Bristy is now studying at Asian University for Women (AUW).

At the beginning of university life, she was worried thinking about how to manage the expenditure of her study.

But she was relieved of her concern when she got the ‘Adwitiya scholarship’ funded by AUW-IDLC-Prothom Alo Trust. Now, she is dreaming to enlighten her other family members.

Not only Bristy Adhikari, but also nine more students of AUW have received the Adwitiya scholarship this year. They all are from their respective families for the first time to get chance to study at a university.

All students received the certificates and gift items on Wednesday at an event held at Sreemongal, Moulvibazar, organized by Prothom Alo Trust and IDLC financial Ltd.

The students, who were accorded the reception, are Bristy Adhikari, Soma Goswami, Bonya Urang, Priyanka Gowala, Binti Tanti, Priyanka Mahali, Anjali Rani Bhowmik, Moni Munda, Moni Pal, and Afrin Mou.

They all are the daughters of tea labourers of different tea gardens in Moulvibazar and Habiganj districts.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year the programme was organised at the students’ hometown [Sylhet] instead of AUW campus in Chattogram.

Nazrul Islam, upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Sreemongal, attended the event as the chief guest.

Sreemongal upazila vice chairman Premsagar Hajra, Kamalganj upazila vice chairman and general secretary of Bangladesh Cha Sramik Union (BCSU) Rambhajan Kairi, deputy head of CSR of IDLC finance Ltd. Khandker Nagib Anwar, coordinator of Prothom Alo Trust Mahbuba Sultana and senior programme official Md Nazim Uddin were present among others.

Under the initiative of AUW and Prothom Alo Trust, this scholarship started its journey in 2012 on titled ‘first female in the family’. A total of 42 students received this scholarship in 2016 under the initiative of Transcom group

IDLC took the responsibility of this scholarship in 2017 and renamed it as ‘Adwitiya scholarship’. Since then, a total of 36 students got scholarship under the initiative of IDLC.

As many as 78 students have been awarded scholarship so far under the joint initiative of IDLC and Transcom group.

Prothom Alo trust works for the underprivileged people of society while Asian University for Women works for empowering women.