Frustrated, post-graduate returns all his certificates

A physically challenged man with sound higher education in Lalmonirhat returned all his academic certificates to the government yesterday.

Mahafuzar Rahman, 35, did so out of frustration over not getting any government jobs despite trying for years.

With no use of his right hand since birth, Mahafuzar struggled a lot to achieve the certificates.

Yesterday, he returned his certificates to the Lalmonirhat deputy commissioner. On behalf of the DC, Additional Deputy Commissioner Rezaul Alam Sarker received the certificates.

“I returned all my academic certificates to the government, as these certificates didn't help me get a job,” said Mahafuzar of Teesta Ratipur village in Sadar upazila.

“The certificates had become a burden for me, so I returned them to the government.”

“I applied for a job in several government departments over the last few years but didn't get any,” he said.

The last time Mahafuzar applied for a government job was in October 2012. He sat for a written test and faced a viva-voce for the post of a teacher in primary school.

 “I qualified for the written test and took the viva-voce test too. But I was not selected,” he said. He claimed that the recruitment board did not follow the quota for people with disabilities.

Mahafuzar urged the government to ensure jobs for the disabled who are educated.

He said he was feeling better after returning the certificates.

 “I will earn my livelihood by giving private lessons to students of my village. If that is not possible, I will start grocery business,” Mahafuzar said.

His wife Nasrin Nahar Lucky, 27, who completed master's from Rangpur Begum Rokeya University, said her husband got extremely disappointed after he was not selected for the primary school job.

 “My husband did the right thing [by returning his certificates],” she said.

Mahafuzar's father Syed Ali, a retired schoolteacher, echoed Nasrin.

Third among five siblings, Mahfuzur was the most brilliant student among them. His elder brother, Jahangir Alam, is a lecturer at a local college, and another brother is a businessman, family members said.

 Mahafuzar passed SSC in 1998 and HSC in 2001 from two institutions under Rajshahi board and secured first division in both the examinations. He completed his bachelor's and master's degrees in business studies in 2005 and 2006 from Rangpur Carmichael College and got second class in both.

 In 2007, he got registered as a physically disabled man with Lalmonirhat Social Welfare Department and his registration number is Lal/29.

Shamiul Islam, deputy director of Social Welfare Department in Lalmonirhat, said, “We only issue certificates to the disabled, and the recruitment boards check the certificates.”

 ADC Rezaul Alam said he received Mahafuzar's certificates along with an application with the DC's permission. “These certificates and the application will be sent to the higher authorities concerned.”