Nityananda Biswas
Banker & Philanthropist
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A senior officer at Rupali Bank Limited's Narail branch, Nityananda Biswas, son of Tarapada Biswas and Urmila Rani Biswas, was born at Mirzapur village under Narail district in 1984. He completed his primary education, SSC and HSC from Mirzapur Purbopar Govt. Primary school, Mirzapur Secondary School and Mirzapur United College respectively.
Nityananda is from a big and extremely impoverished family. His father was a fisherman. He worked alongside his father but wanted to be educated. His father told him that he could study if he worked as well. “I could never play with my classmates or friends because besides studies, I had to catch and sell fish at the local bazaar. I went to school barefoot, even in the biting cold,” says Nityananda. But in the class exams, young Nityananda always retained the first position throughout his student life. He had no opportunity to take help from any private tutor but he got brilliant marks in his SSC and HSC results. His photograph with HSC mark sheet is placed at his college. After HSC, Nityananda decided to get enrolled in Dhaka University. He got enrolled in the Department of Finance.
At the beginning of university life in 2003, Nityananda joined the Dhaka University Chhatro Union. Soon he turned into an activist of the students' political organisation and courageously contributed to every movement for saving the interests and rights of the general students. During the flood in 2004, he took part in making bread and other food items with his friends and distributed the food among the flood-affected people throughout the country. He collected clothes and distributed those among the poor. He went to the northern part of the country several times to help the people affected by bitter cold. Nityananda, with his friends, formed a recitation group named 'Barnomala' at the university.
In 2004, he formed a humanitarian organisation named 'Soul Nation' in his local area. There are 22 members working for the organisation. Their main activities are generating awareness on education, helping underprivileged and bright students, observing national and special days, distributing books for free among poor students, collecting funds for helping the poor and so on. Nityananda also founded a library under his organisation. The humanitarian organisation has a plan to establish an old home for senior citizens who have nowhere to go.
Nityananda's professional performance is exemplary too. His integrity and generosity inspires everyone. He derives inspiration from going through the biographies of great men like Abraham Lincoln, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and so on.
Nityananda is among the very few who have established themselves in their respective professions overcoming poverty and are dedicated to serving the public. The young may take lessons from the life-struggle and triumph of Nityananda Biswas.
By Nusrat Jahan Mou
Muhammad Abdul Hye Milton
Assistant Commissioner (Land) & Executive Magistrate
If you expect Bangladesh Civil Service to strive for realising the aspirations of the people and are desperately looking for young officers who hold out the promise of setting up a truly inspirational leadership in the administrative management of the country, Muhammad Abdul Hye Milton is certainly one of them. Driven by an earnest desire to lead by example in the face of adversities, he has already carved a niche in the minds of the people of the areas he has worked in. His extra-ordinary zeal to help out the underprivileged and the distressed coupled with his exemplary integrity and amiability has contributed to his reputation as a staunch defender of public interests.
“Before I was born, my father, an alumnus of the Department of English, University of Dhaka, decided to name the child to come, if it happened to be a boy, after John Milton, the great English poet. One fine morning, I was then merely an 8-year old kid, my father revealed to me my 'destiny'; I must study English Literature at the University of Dhaka. I grew up with that clear sense of purpose,” Milton said.
Eventually, he enrolled in the University of Dhaka and completed his BA (Honours) in English, obtaining second class first position and MA in English Literature with first class second position. He began his professional career through joining the Department of English, Naogaon Govt. College as a lecturer and worked there from April to November, 2006. The same year he joined Department of English, Jahangirnagar University and served there till November 2008. His father was glad that his son had both read and taught John Milton. Little did he know that the great poet and polemicist was going to shift the mind of his dearest son from an obsession with the literary world to an enduring pursuit of development of the prosaic world he lives in.
“'I cannot praise a fugitive and cloistered virtue, unexercised and unlived, that never sallies out and sees her adversary' -- I was so deeply moved by these words of John Milton in 'Areopagitica' that I made up my mind to take up a personal challenge. Our condemnation of the evil and stress on the necessity of change are not merely academic exercises. We can actually brave the pressures, resist the temptations and be the change-makers,” the calm yet resolute young civil servant explained his switchover. He joined Bangladesh Civil Service (Administration) Cadre in end of 2008 and served the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Chittagong for three years in the capacity of Assistant Commissioner and Executive Magistrate before being transferred to his current position.
In addition to his excellent academic results, what is so impressive about Milton is his ability to engage in critical debate on both epistemological and practical aspects of life and motivate people to strive for noble goals. As a teaching faculty at the Department of English, Jahangirnagar University, Milton demonstrated his capacity to stir the students' psyche and involve them in the pursuit of alternative interpretations. Be it in the discussion of intricate issues pertaining to literary and philosophical realms or the sheer transmission of creative urges in life, he consistently enriches the environment he works in.
Born in 1981 in the village Eruil, under Kahaloo Upazila of Bogra district, Milton's personality traits owe a lot to his upbringing by his idealist parents.
Milton exhibited his leadership capacity as manager of the Jahangirnagar University Cricket Team by winning the title of Bangladesh Inter-University Cricket Tournament, 2008. He also worked as Sports-in-Charge at the Department of English, Jahangirnagar University from July 2007 to November 2008, the period in which the department won the first ever championship in cricket, became runner-up in basketball and handball at the inter-department competitions of the university. As Assistant Commissioner and Executive Magistrate at the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Chittagong, apart from his assigned responsibilities, he proactively contributed to the construction of the district web portal and the launching of the e-service. While he attaches more importance to continual improvement of the quality of service rendered to the people, he has simultaneously kept himself engaged in the pursuit of acquiring professional knowledge and skills. He stood second and fourth in order of merit in 68th Law & Administration Course and 47th Foundation Training Course respectively. As part of official tours, he has so far visited Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and India. He is scheduled to leave for UK in early September 2012 to attend a master's programme in Development Studies at the University of Sussex.
Milton brings to all of his activities a cool-headed decision accompanied by a clear expression of intent and profound commitment. His thirst for knowledge is aptly complemented by his tremendous zeal for translating ideals into actions. His combination of intelligence, commitment, perseverance, creativity, and compassionate character make him an invaluable member of any workplace. Whoever has somehow come into contact with him recommends him as a role model for the young civil servants who aspire to take the nation forward.
By Zahangir Alom
Masum Billah
Law Teacher & Human Rights Activist
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Born in the district of Magura, Masum Billah's initiation in education happened through his father, SM Siddique Hossain, a primary school teacher.
“One can hardly think of a better way to advance the cause of human rights than to bring together students -- who are the leaders, judges and teachers of tomorrow.” This is the philosophy of Masum Billah, a young law teacher at Jagannath University, Dhaka. Obtaining first class first in both Honours and Masters from the department of Law and Justice, University of Rajshahi, Masum has devised a unique style of teaching with a mix of wit and knowledge. Nominated for a Commonwealth Scholarship for PhD in the UK this year, Masum has previously taught at Stamford University Bangladesh and Northern University Bangladesh.
From 2003 onwards, Masum has been associated with Empowerment through Law of the Common People (ELCOP), an academic organisation formed by Dr. Mizanur Rahman, currently the Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission. Masum contributes by his intellect to produce a group of pro-people lawyers by a unique institution called Human Rights Summer School (HRSS). HRSS participants are trained to stand beside the poor, coming off the mantle of traditionalism.
He has associated himself with Community Law Reform (CLR). The idea is to work with ethnic minority groups or any other marginalised community. This is an intensive field research work designed to know and examine various aspects of their community life; their lifestyle, culture, religion, custom, laws, traditional economy, socialMasum inspires his students to condemn the culture of impunity and has contributed to stir up a mass awareness in favour of bringing the perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide to the altar of justice by legal analysis of 1973 law, holding War Crimes Mock Trials, seminars etc. behaviour, rights awareness level and their problems. The objective of this work is to bring the law students out of the classroom to mobilise the prospective community leaders for human rights training and motivation.
Masum is engaged in imbibing a pro bono attitude in the mindset of the students through ELCOP's 'Street Law'. Rights awareness programmes like 'Street Law' may be considered as very significant for the ultimate purpose of empowering the people.
Masum also inspires his students to condemn the culture of impunity and has contributed to stir up a mass awareness in favour of bringing the perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide to the altar of justice by legal analysis of 1973 law, holding War Crimes Mock Trials, seminars etc.
His papers on trial of war criminals [of 1971], judicial activism, political empowerment of women, anti-corruption drive, land rights, advisory opinion of the Supreme Court are significant contributions to the corpus of our legal understanding.
Masum also works in close association with 'Law and Our Rights' desk of The Daily Star.
He has associated himself with societal campaigns for the advancement of knowledge on human rights and building a trend or culture of human rights jurisprudence. He dreams of a legal system which would not be discriminatory to the impoverished people, where 'equality before law' and 'equal protection of law' would not be mere buzzwords. He believes this vision is important and strives to turn it into a reality.
By Nusrat Jahan Mou