Sajida Begum, a 77-year-old woman, serves as an inspiration to many as she undertakes a journey to continue her education at this age. After dedicating many years to marriage and taking care of her children, she now passionately seeks to reignite her academic pursuits.
At the impressive age of 77, Sajida embarked on a new educational endeavor by taking the admission test for the SSC program offered by Bangladesh Open University (BOU).
BOU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Syed Humayun Akhter on Sunday visited an admission test centre in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi. Describing Sajida as "indomitable", he said: "Sajida Begum is an inspiration. An indomitable woman! Her life is like the story of her mother who doesn't give up.”
Sajida has three children, who are highly educated and are now established in their respective positions. During a conversation, Sajida Begum told the vice chancellor of BOU that she was born before the partition in 1947. She was a student of Nawab Habibullah Model School and College. Later, she got married to Abul Hashem, a young officer at the Dhaka Cantonment Board.
After Sajida Begum came out of the examination centre, she said she was introduced to BOU through her son, Masud Reza.
“Since that day, I come to BOU with my daughter. At first, I was shy, but soon enough I noticed there are people of all ages and professions studying here, and that made me feel confident,” Sajida Begum said.
Sajida’s eldest daughter Hasina Akhtar came with her to the examination centre. She said: "My mother is very popular with low-income people in my area. Many people keep their money with Amma (mother) as a deposit.”
BOU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Syed Humayun Akhtar said: "There are many talented women in this country. But due to social, and family pressure, and marriage, they were forced to quit their education. BOU’s curriculum is always on their side. We have given people of all ages and professions the opportunity to study from home across the country.”Even Bangali expatriates living in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Dubai, and Italy are now studying in various programs offered by BOU,” added the VC.
