Toma, a class 10 student from Maliyat village in Kumarkhali upazila of Kushtia has to walk three kilometers every day to Tebaria Girls' High School. At the end of the school, she has to walk that three kilometers again to return home. Like Toma, many other students of that school have to walk mile after mile to get to the school.
Barrister Selim Altaf George, MP from Kushtia-4 (Kumarkhali-Khoksa) constituency, immediately came forward after learning about the suffering these students have been facing till now.
The MP handed over bicycles bought with his own money to 30 such poor students of different educational institutions of the upazila in front of Kumarkhali Public Library on Friday morning. At the same time he provided benches in 11 schools of the upazila too. MP Barrister Selim Altaf George said, "Young students came to the school from far away and returned home on foot. I felt sorry to hear that so, I provided them with bicycles as gift. I am very happy to see their smiling faces after getting the bicycles.
Toma, the class 10 student of Tebaria Girls' High School said, she had to suffer a lot for so long. Often she reached at school too late as she had to travel on foot. Many times she was scolded by teachers for reaching late.
“Now I will not be late to school anymore and will be able to concentrate on my studies as I can go to school on time by cycling”, she added. The students were all very happy to get the bicycles and their parents were delighted too. Day laborer Afzal Hossain was in tears while he said, her daughter had to walk two and a half kilometer every day, he felt very bad seeing her suffering. But, he was not able to buy her a bicycle due to his poor financial condition.
He said, “The MP has handed over a bicycle to my daughter. From now on she will not have any trouble going to the school. Today I am very happy and grateful to the MP”.
Kumarkhali Municipal Mayor Samsuzzaman Arun, Upazila Nirbahi Officer Rajibul Islam Khan, headmasters of the concerned educational institutions and guardians were present during the hand over.
