An unemployed father, financial hardship at home and the struggle to meet their education expenses could have stood in the way of their studies. But Rahima Sardar and Rabeya Sardar from Rajarhat upazila of Kurigram did not give up.
Through determination and hard work, these twin sisters scored GPA-5 in the 2026 Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations from the humanities group.
Their achievement stands out not only at their college, among the 14 educational institutions in the upazila as well.
Rahima and Rabeya are residents of Ramkarji village in Chinai union. They study at Rajarhat Government Mir Ismail Hossain College. The twin sisters had also scored GPA-5 in their Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations.
According to the college, 142 students from the institution passed the HSC examinations this year. Only two of them secured GPA-5—Rahima and Rabeya. No other students from the seven colleges, three school-and-colleges and four technical institutions in the upazila scored the top grade.
Their father, Monir Hossain Sardar, does not have a permanent job. He cultivates crops on a small amount of farmland and occasionally works as a seasonal day labourer. Their mother, Nasima Begum, is a homemaker.
The couple have three daughters. Their eldest daughter is married, while Rahima and Rabeya are the younger twin daughters. Despite the family’s financial hardships, the sisters continued their studies.
Their mother, Nasima Begum, said she was delighted with her daughters’ results.
“We have gone through a lot of hardship to educate our daughters. Private tutors taught the two sisters without charging any fees. The college principal took only nominal amounts for admission, form fill-up and various examinations. The girls also received stipends. Without everyone’s support, they might not have been able to achieve such good results,” she said.
Rahima Sardar, who scored GPA-5, said, “I studied with the aim of getting good results, partly to ease my father’s hardship and partly to fulfil our own dreams. Apart from the time spent travelling to college and eating, I spent most of the day studying. I also had limited time to sleep.”
Rabeya Sardar said their next goal was to pursue higher education at a good university.
“Now our dream is to get admitted to a good university and pursue higher education. We are preparing with that goal in mind,” she said.
College principal Professor Md Zahurul Islam said, “Among the 14 educational institutions in Rajarhat upazila, only these twin sisters from the humanities group secured GPA-5. We are delighted and proud of their achievement. On behalf of the college, I extend my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to both of them.”
Sazzad Hossain, assistant upazila secondary education officer in Rajarhat, told Prothom Alo that four students in the upazila scored GPA-5 — two from the college stream and two under the Madrasah Education Board. The two students from the college stream are the twin sisters.