100 Tea-Garden Children in Fatikchhari's Udalia Get Schoolbags, Exercise Books and Pencils

About 100 pupils from three schools in the Udalia tea garden in Fatikchhari upazila, Chattogram, have received new schoolbags, exercise books, pencils and other learning materials.

As part of the 'One Good Deed' programme marking Prothom Alo's 28th founding anniversary, members of Chattogram Bondhushava went on 25 October to Alhaj Mostafizur Rahman Primary School in the Udalia tea garden. Pupils from three schools in total, including Chikanchhara Government Primary School, received schoolbags, exercise books, pencils, erasers, sharpeners, rulers and pencil boxes.

One of the recipients was Pranab Das, a Class One pupil at Kalapani Primary School, who was handed a colourful new schoolbag, exercise book and pencil.

At the start of the distribution ceremony, Pallabi Khastagir, head teacher of Jahanara Momtaz Girls' High School, said there would be no division among the children and no separate tag for the children of tea workers. With adequate opportunities, she said, these pupils could grow up to become doctors and engineers.

Nadim Khan, assistant general manager of the Udalia tea garden, praised the initiative, thanked Prothom Alo and Bondhushava, and said he hoped Chattogram Bondhushava would continue such initiatives in the days ahead.

Senior Fatikchhari journalist S M Akkas also spoke at the event. Abesh Das, president of the tea garden's panchayat committee, said that on a daily wage of only 187 taka it is hard even to provide two meals, so putting a new exercise book or pencil in a child's hand is difficult; the gifts, he said, would give the pupils fresh enthusiasm for their studies.

Bikram Das, a teacher at Kalapani Primary School, said the pupils were happy to receive the gifts and would now find encouragement to attend school regularly. Munni Rani Das, a teacher at Chikanchhara Primary School, said the gifts had added to the pupils' Puja joy.

Mithu Mukherjee, head teacher of Mostafizur Rahman Primary School, said his pupils miss out on many things because their parents cannot afford them, and the gifts would help them move forward.

In the closing speech, Chattogram Bondhushava vice-president Nuruzzaman Khan said today's children are tomorrow's wealth. Also present were Udalia tea garden manager Samiran Mridha, assistant manager Muhammad Omar Faruk, and Bondhushava members Shaon Roy, Prantika Bhowmik, Saeed Al Sohel and Samia Sultana. The programme was conducted by Bondhushava general secretary Irfatur Rahman.