Strength of mind and determination key to Lincoln's success

Lincoln Chandra Ghosh—an Adamya Medhabi (indomitable talent) from Kutirhat village in Feni—had to face many adversities to reach his goal. But nothing could prevent him moving forward with his long-cherished dream.

This 'indomitable talent' appeared on an online event of Prothom Alo Trust, ‘Adamya Medhabider Shongay’ ('with the indomitable talent') on 5 May in 2021 to narrate his tale of struggle.

The programme—conducted by Mahbuba Sultana, coordinator of Prothom Alo Trust—runs simultaneously on Prothom Alo’s Facebook page and YouTube channel along with the Facebook page of Prothom Alo Trust.

Expressing his gratitude to Prothom Alo, Lincoln said, “Prothom Alo started helping me from 2010—just after passing the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination. As my family was financially indigent, it was difficult for me to continue my studies. My parents wished to educate me but they had financial constraints.”

In 2010, the Prothom Alo local correspondent penned a story about Lincoln as he achieved a GPA 5.00 score in SSC examination. After the report appeared in the newspaper, he was selected for the Brac Bank-Prothom Alo Trust ‘Adamya Medhabi’ scholarship that helped him reach where he is now.

“I also received the Brac Bank-Prothom Alo Trust scholarship in 2012 after attaining good grades at the higher secondary level. Then I passed the Dhaka University admission test and enrolled in the Management Information System department,” he recounted.

After completing post-graduation, Lincoln joined as auditor at the Controller General Defence Finance on 19 December 2019. Then he switched his job and started working for Janata Bank Limited as a senior officer from 9 September 2020.

“Prothom Alo played the most significant role to make my dream come true. I will grateful to them (BRAC Bank and Prothom Alo Trust) forever,” Linkon remembered.

When asked, he said his dream is to serve people in whatever profession he is in. “Now I am working in the bank, if I get better option I will go somewhere else.”

Talking about his parents and neighbours, he laughed and said, “My parents and our neighbours are also proud of me. That feels so good.”

Asked whether Lincoln has any suggestions for other the ‘Adamya Medhabi’ youth, he said, “I don't think adversity can be a big obstacle if there’s determination. Apart from this, we all need to have mental strength.”

“Sometimes, you think that there is nothing is going right for you, nobody supports you. However, if there’s will power and mental strength, this won’t be the matter. Even so, if the ‘Adamya’ scholarship recipients encounter any obstacle on the way, they are welcome to contact us or discuss things with us. I hope this will strengthen their morale,” he said.

When asked about the recent graduates who are struggling to get jobs, Lincoln said it is a difficult time for jobs.

“I have used this time to study hard with a target of six months. I studied full time without wasting any time with anyone. At the end of 6 months I got two jobs. So many issues will be cleared if students facing such difficulties contact people who are in good positions,” he recommended.

“Even before I got the job, I used to discuss various issues with one of my seniors. I received some important guidelines from him that helped me a lot in getting a job. So you all should maintain communication with us. By doing this, your mental strength will grow and you will get good guidance on many issues. It will then be much easier for you to go through difficult times.”

*The original report appeared in the online edition of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by NH Sajjad