Saima Akter, a schoolgirl at Khirati Purbo Para at Kapasia in Gazipur, dreams about becoming a physician. Her father makes a living by cultivating the lands of other people.

Similarly, meritorious student Airin Jaman Anee of Dorib Lodha village of Gazipur Sadar was struggling to continue her education following the death of her father Aktaruzzaman.

Bashundhara Group, the country’s largest business conglomerate, has stood beside 18 insolvent students like them in different places of Gazipur by providing support to help them continue their studies.

Out of the 18 students, 17 have received sewing machines which will enable them to generate income by making clothes and paying for their education. However, Saima has been granted a stipend as she does not know how to operate a sewing machine. 

Meanwhile, two elderly women were given wheelchairs.

Bashundhara Group distributed the sewing machines, stipend and wheelchairs at a ceremony at Monir’s Lining Centre in Gazipur town on Wednesday.

Shuvo Sangha, a social organisation of Bashundhara Group's leading Bengali newspaper Kaler Kantho, organised a function to hand over the assistance on behalf of Bashundhara Group.

In an instant reaction, Saima said “My father does not earn enough to support our family. My mother Halima Begun is also engaged in agricultural work to survive. But my mother can operate a sewing machine. Now all obstacles to the way of realising my dream have disappeared thanks to the support from Bashundhara Group.”