Disability couldn't stop him

Syed Ali, 32, from Botiyavanga village in Durgahata union of Bogra's Gabtoli upazila was born physically challenged. His legs are withered below the knees such that he cannot stand. Yet he has done his best to live an independent life and in doing so, the humble medicine trader has become an inspiration to others.

“It was only for the help of my mother and the kindness of my teachers and the other students at Durgahata primary and high schools that I was able to study up until call eight,” he says. Syed Ali was well-known in the supportive rural village where he was raised, one of five siblings.

“We used to help him to sit on the school bench,” says old school friend and NGO activist Motiur Rahman. “Sometimes we assisted him to get to and from school as well. Syed Ali's mental strength impressed us the most. He is an inspiration.”

“It was difficult to manage his disability and his schooling when he was growing up,” says his mother Asma Akter, a widow of several years. “But with a lot of effort and assistance from my husband, we managed as we could, and these days I am so proud of him since he is more attentive that our other children.”

When his older brothers established their own lives and stopped contributing to his parents' household income, Syed Ali too vowed to claim financial independence. “I didn't want to depend on the money of others,” he recalls.

Three years ago, he left his parental home to live in a slum beside Bogra bus stand with his wife Reshma Begum and their two-year-old daughter Raciya. A local mechanic put together a three-wheel vehicle-of-sorts for Syed Ali, which he could power with his hands to achieve some mobility. He started selling ointments and herbal remedies to earn as income.

“I can earn up to Tk 500 per day selling medicines,” he says. I manage my family and also provide for my mother's daily expenses.”

“Many people fail to care for their parents, but not Syed Ali,” says local college teacher Akhter Hossain. “In this area he inspires many.”

“Perhaps he is physically challenged,” comments local vegetable seller Gonesh Das, “but mentally he is fit and to meet him on his three-wheeled vehicle is to see a big smile that is much stronger that any disability.”

In the future, Syed Ali hopes to establish a small shop in Bogra town to sell his medicine, a move that his wife Reshma says would make his days considerably easier. “He only has his two hands to rely on. He suffers a lot,” she says. “A permanent shop could help him.”

While he receives no government assistance to date, Durgahata union chairman Mithu Chowdhury says he personally advised Syed Ali to come to the council headquarters in the hope of organising a disability grant, but that Syed Ali did not arrive in time. Upazila social service officer Saiful Islam also suggested to The Daily Star that Syed Ali might visit his office to see what assistance initiatives might be taken.

But of course Syed Ali is committed to forging his own life too. “People with disabilities should always try to make a living for themselves. With effort they can be successful in proving that disability is not a curse,” he says.