[WATCH NOW] The blind Teacher

As the children in the classroom open their English grammar books for the day’s lesson their teacher Fazlul Haque picks up his book too. But it is a bit different than the students’ classroom books. It is in Braille, a system of raised dots that can be read with the fingers by people who are blind or who have low vision.

Fazlul Haque is visually impaired but he is teaching voluntarily at two schools including a govt primary school and a junior high school at the same campus at a remote village Charkhatamari in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila at the Dharla river basin.

Nineteen-year-old Fazlul Haque, studied in Braille from 2005 to 2009 in RDRS Bangladesh, an NGO, run Visual Impaired Person (VIP) centre at Haribhanga area in Lalmonirhat town and completed the fifth grade.

He has been teaching the students of the primary school, and only English grammar to the junior high school students for the last two years. He works voluntarily and wants to continue his work as long as he can.

“I couldn’t continue in school because of poverty, but I want the students of this village to continue their studies so they do better in life,” said Fazlul.

“I took up teaching as I can’t work like everybody else,” he said adding he was just trying to become an ideal teacher.

“I feel proud when I am addressed as sir by the students, and it makes me happy,” said Fazlul Haque.

Abdus Samad, the headmaster of the primary School in the village said, Fazlul is really brilliant. “The students never act up when Fazlul Haque is teaching,” he said adding students of his school have found a good teacher in Fazlul.

“We have no fund for helping Fazlul Haque, but I am going to ask the managing committee to pay him for his work,” he said.

The headmaster of the junior high school, Noor Islam, said they were impressed with Fazlul teaching English grammar.

“Students pay attention to Fazlul’s lessons, and he has become a sought after teacher in my school,” he said.

Monowara Begum, an assistant teacher of the primary school said, “Fazlul Haque makes his lessons very interesting and easy. His talent is really a gift from god.”

Jahedul Islam, a student of class seven at Char Khatamri Junior High School said, “We are quiet and attentive in Fazlul sir’s class.”

A guardian, Naher Ali at Charkhatamari village said, they welcome Fazlul Haque, and they want him to continue.

Fazlul Haque’s parents are fishers. His father Mozahar Ali said that they were very worried about their son’s life but they feel proud of him when people greet them as Fazlul’s parents.

“We don’t have any land. We live on Khas land owned by the government, and we live hand to mouth but we wish for something for our son,” he said.

“Our son Fazlul was blind at birth and we tried for his treatment but it did not work,” he added.