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Guru Griho

Lalmonirhat

Educating the Dropouts

The young man, Jahangir Alom, is running his free of cost school Kadom Chand Bidyapit for students of class one to five since January 2002 last in his native village, Durakut, a remote area in Lalmonirhat district. He is working for this noble purpose to educate the next generation in the society. Maximum people here in this village are poor living from hand to mouth. Many children in the village are dropouts. They want to study but cannot afford it. So Jahangir Alom's school is playing an important role in educating the underprivileged dropouts.
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S Dilip Roy

Jahangir Alom with his students

Jahangir Alom is playing an important role to educate children in the society through opening a school Kadom Chand Bidyapit in his personal expenditure to teach students, especially dropout students at Durakuti village of Saptibari union at Aditmari upazila in Lalmonirhat district. The young man is running his school, Kadom Chand Bidyapit for students of class one to five for free since January 2002. He is working for this noble purpose to educate the next generation in the society.

Jahangir Alom's native village Durakuti is a remote area in Lalmonirhat district. Most people in the village are poor, living from hand to mouth. They are also not conscious about their children's education – many children in the village are dropouts. They want to study but cannot afford it. So, Jahangir Alom opened the school to teach them free of cost. Now he plays an important role in the village, as children are willing to study, and their parents are highly interested to educate their children.

There are at least 100 regular students at Kadom Chand Bidyapit, and of them, 40 percent are identified as dropout students. Jahangir Alom said that he teaches the dropout students in his Kadom Chand Bidyapit since morning to noon and regular students get teaching since 5 pm to 8 pm.

Abu Hossain, 40, a guardian at the village said that most guardians in the village were not concerned about their children's education. Jahangir Alom created awareness among us about the necessity of education. So now we are highly interested to educate our children and we are doing so. Our two children read in a local primary school and also get free tuition at Jahangir Alom's Kadom Chand Bidyapit every day. Our children are now doing better in their school studying at Kadom Chand Bidyapit. Another guardian Hasem Uddin (48), of the same village said, “my child, Nur Muhammad was a dropout in class three but now he is studying in class five at Kadom Chand Bidyapit, where Jahangir Alom teaches free of cost. Many dropout children like my son get education facility in this school.”

Jahangir Alom said, ”Kadom Chand Bidyapit is open for all.” Primary level students from different villages study in his school now. “I alone teach the students but I don't face any problems. Students don't quarrel here, they stay here peacefully and are really attentive in their studies,” he added. Rased Islam (10), a dropout student, son of Yasin Ali, said,” I wanted to study but my parents didn't allow me. So, I dropped out in class two. Now I'm studying in class three at Kadom Chand Bidyapit. Jahangir sir teaches us carefully. He loves us very much. We become his devotees.” Salma Khatun, a class four student of Durakuti Govt primary school said, “I'm also a student of Kadom Chand Bidyapit. I and many students from different villages regularly come to Kadom Chand Bidyapit after returning from school. Jahangir sir teaches us for 3 to 4 hours regularly. We learn here successfully and do better in our school”.

Jahangir Alom built his school on a 30 decimal piece of land and planted different varieties of trees and flowers surrounding the school – charming the students to attract them in their studies. Visitors from different areas come to visit Kadom Chand Bidyapit, and all of them express their gratitude over Jahangir Alom's activities in the village.

Jahangir Alom was born at his grandfather's house in a neighbouring village called Choritabari of Komlabari union at Aditmari upazila in Lalmonirhat, July 15, 1977. His father, Nurul Amin Shaikh, and mother, Jahanar Begum, had been living elsewhere for service. He passed SSC from Vadai GS High School at Aditmari upazila in 1995 and passed HSC from Durakuti Begum Qumarunnesa College in Lalmonirhat sadar upazila in 1997. He got admitted into Birgonj Degree College in Dinajpur, but he didn't complete his degree due to family problems. In 200, he inherited some land, and started his new life cultivating the land. He saw bad condition of education in his village, so he later changed his track and invested himself to educate the society.

Jahangir Alom said, “Local people here didn't support me at the beginning, but I continued my mission with honesty and confidence – now I'm getting the result day by day. I'm happy as all the children in my native village and adjoining villages are becoming more educated. I have no income and I don't go to my parent or other relatives asking for money. Parents invite me and they give me meals – that is sufficient to maintain myself.”

Khorshed Alom, a teacher in the village said, “Jahangir Alom has already set up a rare example in the village through teaching the children free of cost. Now, Kadom Chand Bidyapit is turned into a centre for rearing educated children”. “I have no need for tangible assets in my life. I just want to educate our society”, said Jahangir Alom.

Kadam Chand Bidyapit