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During childhood, Bithi used to sit in front of her father’s bicycle. Back then she studied at a primary school. She could feel her father’s tireless efforts and poverty to run the family. Sitting on the bicycle, Bithi imagined that she would get a good job when she grew up and help her father run the family.
She once learned to ride a bicycle. After completing her primary, she enrolled in the secondary school. Bithi Rani Mahanta shines like a light in a family with sea of problems. She does very well in her studies. Her teachers take good care of her and waived her tuition fees. Despite poverty and hunger, she continued her study.
Bithi goes to school riding her father’s old bicycle. Two years later, her younger brother got admitted to secondary school. Now begins the tug of war to determine who will use the bicycle. Two cannot go on one bicycle. Bithi and her brother Bikram go to school by this cycle every alternative day.
Bithi is now a 10th grader while Bikram in seventh standard. Bithi’s SSC exam is approaching ahead. It is important for Bithi and her brother to go to school on a regular basis. Both of them are meritorious students. Two siblings fight almost every day over going to school as their van driver father Bishnu Chandra Mahanta cannot afford another bicycle.
Ignoring all hardships and poverty, Bithi has secured the first place in this year’s annual examination as well. Bithi Rani Mahanta is the daughter of Bishnu Chandra Mahanta and Brihothi Rani Mahanta of Nabanidas Manakasha village under Gangachara upazila of Rangpur. Their family consists of van driver father, housewife mother and two young siblings.
Bishnu, the only breadwinner of the family, is trying to turn the wheel of their fortune by driving a van. It is difficult for all the members of the family to eat thrice a day with the money he earns. In such a situation, it is almost impossible for Bishnu to finance the education of his daughter Bithi and son Bikram. However, he wants to make his children well educated. Bithi studies science at class 10 in Gangachara Government Model High School. Her younger brother Bikram is a class seven student of the same school. Every morning, Bithi tries to go to school, four kilometers from her home, on a broken bicycle with her brother on the back.
Kaler Kantho Editor-in-Chief Imdadul Haq Milan was present at a programme organised by Shuvosangho in Gangachra recently. At one stage of standing in the field and talking to the members of Shuvosangho, he saw a girl coming to the event with a bicycle and taking out it to go home. He intercepted the girl and talked to her. The girl told her name, level of education, address, and other details of her life.
During the conversation, Milan, also a renowned author of the sub continent, came to know how Bithi is struggling to continue her studies at this tender age. He immediately decided that Bashundhara Group will stand by Bithi. With the help of Shuvosangho friends, he inquired about Bithi’s family.
Milan, on behalf of the Bashundhara Group, handed over a new bicycle to Bithi the very next day. He announced Bashundhara Group’s support until completion of her study, alongside monthly scholarship of Tk 2,000. On that day, he handed over the scholarship allocated for the month of May to Bithi.
“Now my problem for a cycle is over. Besides, I am very happy to know about regular scholarship. Today, sir (Milan) gave me Tk 2,000. Now, there is no obstacle to fulfilling my dreams. I cordially thank the Bashundhara Group. I am also a member of Shuvosangho. I want to be a good human being and a good volunteer as well. My dream is to grow up and stand by the hapless people,” said delighted Bithi, reports Daily Sun.
Bd-pratidin English/Golam Rosul
