At just eight, Hasan should have been attending school with books and notebooks. Instead, he was selling peanuts on the streets of Dhaka to help support his family after his father’s death.
Now, the young boy has a chance to attend school after Dhaka Deputy Commissioner Farida Khanom arranged for his admission and provided financial assistance to his family.
Hasan’s father died while undergoing treatment following a prolonged illness, leaving the family struggling financially.
The boy lives in a rented house in the capital’s Baridhara area with his mother, three brothers and a sister.
The family’s financial hardship forced Hasan to start selling peanuts at an age when he should have been receiving an education.
After learning about his circumstances, Khanom invited Hasan and his family to her office.
On Sunday afternoon, the deputy commissioner met them, enquired about their financial situation and arranged for Hasan’s school admission. She also handed over cash assistance to help ease the family’s financial difficulties.
“Education is a fundamental right of every child. Ensuring that no child is deprived of education because of poverty or family hardship is our moral and social responsibility,” Khanom said.
“Children should have books and notebooks in their hands, not the burden of labour. Joint efforts by the government and society are needed to ensure a safe childhood, access to education and a better future for every child,” she added.
Khanom said supporting disadvantaged children like Hasan was not merely an act of humanitarian assistance but also a responsibility towards their future.
“We want every child to enjoy their childhood, attend school regularly and have the opportunity to fulfil their dreams,” she said.
She urged the government and society to work together to ensure that disadvantaged children did not miss out on education because of financial hardship.
For Hasan, who had been selling peanuts to help his family survive, the district administration’s intervention has opened the door to an education that poverty had kept beyond his reach.
