Abdul Malek Howlader: A maker of human beings

Abdul Malek Howlader of Madaripur is a skilled craftsman to turn the dropout children of the society into perfect human beings. This person who is averse to publicity has been relentlessly teaching thousands of dropout students unselfishly for 67 years. In his own established school, he is alone carrying on the task of making human beings. Abdul Malek established a school at Mithapur bazar in Dudhkhali union in 1943. Later this school got fame in the name of ‘Abdul Malek Howlader’s Pathshala (school)’ across the area.

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More important thing is that he has spread the luster of light amongst thousands of illiterate and incognizant people. Exhibiting latent talent, he enlightened many people in his school and took them away from the darkness of illiteracy. Many of them are well established and respectable people in the society. Akter Hossain, headmaster of the Kulpadi High School, said, “He was inattentive to studies since his childhood. He did not do studies at the age of 16. One day Malek sir called him and arranged for his education in his school. After studying under his supervision for only three and half years, he sat for SSC exam in private and passed the exam. If that person did not teach me forcefully then I could not be a teacher today. I would remain uneducated whole life.” Akter Hossain said these words with pride. Another student Azharuddin Khan, who is currently the bank officer, also said the same thing. Malek sir taught him forcefully. In this way, he educated innumerable dropout students. Many dexterous people including doctor, engineer, teacher, litterateur, playwright, bank officer, police and army officer learnt lessons from him.

Yet no one stays in touch with him. This centennial person worn out by age spends the day under the extreme hardship. At this age, Abdul Malek Howlader has to do homeopathy treatment and cloth sewing work alongside teaching to earn his livelihood. In 2006, he was elected as a white-hearted person among 10 people across the country in “White-hearted Human Being” competition, a social and patriotic program of Unilever Bangladesh. He got Tk 100,000 as gift from Unilever. But the sad thing is that lucky person of Abdul Malek Howlader school did not get any reception in his own district. Even no one takes notice of the condition of this selfless person.

When asked about his great work and life, he said to Shirsho News Dot Com, “He did not do anything for gaining something. He thinks that it is his mental satisfaction and moral responsibility. In his 67 long years of pursuit, many dropout students of that area have been established. It is his great achievement. Besides, it is his fortune that he taught many helpless and poor children at free of cost. He said these words in smiling face.”

When asked exactly when he started this school, he said, “In 1943, he started teaching small kids three years after doing service in Civil Guard Commander and few days as Ansar commander.” For developing a child completely, since then he has been teaching various subjects, including dance, song, acting, PT and Arabic. He said he has long been teaching in this school. At present, his health condition is so bad that he can leave the earth any day. He is at a loss thinking what would happen to this school after his departure. He was saying these words and was silently looking towards the school holding the pillar of the house trembling.”

The only thinking of this extra-ordinary great-hearted person is about this school and the education and future of the dropout students of this area. This person forced many drop-out students of this area to come back to study. Many of them are in the top positions of the society. Do they not have any responsibility to this great person? Do they not have any responsibility towards Abdul Malek Howlader’s school, which is resounded with the noise of the small children soon after 8 O’clock in the morning?

Every day they sing national anthem standing align under the old banyan tree. With this, they take an oath to build the country being the perfect human being. After that, class starts at the balcony of the decayed house. Students do class keeping books and notebooks on a bench like thing made of one feet tall wood and bamboo and sitting on wood or brick. Like the students, there is a wonky chair for master. Because of the fear for the chair being broken, it is tied tightly with the pillar of the house. Blackboard is also very old. Some of its parts have also been broken. Still there is no shortage of students in this school. There are almost 40 students from class 1 to class 5. They do classes sitting separately in five groups in the same room. Each class has a captain. This is Abdul Malek Howlader’s school. If you make an on-field visit, you will see this.

Local residents have been observing this for 67 long years. Though old age got to Abdul Malek Howlader, who is close to hundred, he did not stop the work of making human. This resolute person is fighting alone to educate students of the area amid thousands of problems. When it rains, rain water falls from the big holes of the tin of balcony. But class does not stop. The distance of the school being very far from his own house, he has to come to school every day in hardship with senile body. This self-confident person does not keep his school closed despite his problem of walking. This is a story of a fearless commander who wins the battle of life, because of whose strong leadership, many dropout soldiers win in the battle of life. Many of his students are today established in high positions of the society.

Local residents said, “Abdul Malek Howlader in his own initiative established a school at Mithapur bazar in Dudhkhali union of Madaripur sadar, which later became famous as Abdul Malek Howlader’s school. Here, he teaches poor and meritorious students of the village selflessly at free of cost. He creates interest about studies in students who have lost it with a newly devised strategy. He provides mental strength to make each student fully self-dependent by making them participate in various cultural activities and exercise along with studies. Local people remember his contribution with utmost respect.” 

On July 19, 2013, at the age of almost hundred, Abdul Malek Howlader breathed his last at his village home. He had long been suffering from old-age related complications.

Source:

https://sdsmf.wordpress.com/2010/11/15/মাদারীপুরের-আব্দুল-মালেক/