Tanvir Islam Kawsar, Moulvibazar
Mona Begum, 20, has passed the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination despite having to crawl about 1.5 kilometres every day to reach a bus for college.
Born with physical disabilities, Mona has little strength in her left hand, left leg and waist and cannot stand or walk without support. She moves by crawling on her right hand and right leg.
Despite scorching heat, rain and severe physical exhaustion, she continued her studies and passed the HSC examination from Shah Nimattra Sagornal-Fultala College in the humanities group with a GPA of 2.5.
Mona is the daughter of day labourer Haris Mia and Amina Begum of Elapur Bagan, a hamlet of Ratna Tea Garden in Goalbari Union of Juri upazila, Moulvibazar.
Continuing her education was a daily struggle. She had to crawl about one kilometre along an unpaved road from home to reach a vehicle and repeat the journey after returning from college. At times, the strain left her so weak that she struggled to breathe, she said.
Mona is now preparing to enrol in a degree pass course. However, her family cannot afford the cost of books, admission and transportation. Her father and younger brother work as day labourers, while the family lives in a dilapidated house.
“I have been disabled since birth. I cannot walk and have to crawl. Despite all these difficulties, I passed my SSC and HSC examinations. Now I want to enrol in a degree course, but my family cannot afford to buy books,” Mona said.
She dreams of completing her education and securing a government job. She also hopes to receive an autorickshaw, which she says would make travelling much easier.
Her mother said she had raised and educated Mona with great hardship but could no longer afford to continue her education.
Niranjan Chasha, headteacher of Samsuddin Ahmad Government Primary School in Juri, said Mona had been a good student with a strong interest in education.
“Despite her physical limitations, she used to travel to and from school with great difficulty by crawling,” he said. #EK
