Abdul Hamid Bhuiyan’s Lifelong Gift to His Village School

Just five kilometers north of Tangail town lies Rasulpur village in Gala Union. Decades ago, the village had no secondary school, and many children dropped out after primary education. That changed with the founding of Bashiron Nessa High School — and at the heart of its journey has been one man, Abdul Hamid Bhuiyan.

Bhuiyan, now the executive director of the NGO Society for Social Service (SSS), began his career as an unpaid teacher at the school. He has since become its greatest benefactor: today he pays the monthly tuition fees for every single student, more than 500 in total.

The school’s beginnings

The school was established in 1967 on land donated by Raj Ali Mondal, who named it after his wife. In its early years, it struggled with too few teachers. A young Abdul Hamid, fresh out of university and back in his village, stepped in to teach without salary, helping to keep the school alive and grow. Later, he pursued work in development and went on to found SSS in the 1990s.

Covering every student’s fees

According to headteacher Abdul Mannan Sarkar, the school has 504 students in grades six through ten, nearly half of them girls. Tuition fees range from 250 to 350 taka per month, totaling around 150,000 taka. Since February, Bhuiyan has been covering all of it through SSS, ensuring no student drops out for lack of money.

“Most families here are poor,” Sarkar said. “Before, students often fell behind on payments and some left school. Now, at the start of every month, the fees for every student arrive from Mr. Bhuiyan.”

Students echo the relief: Redowan, an eighth grader, said, “We don’t have to worry about fees anymore. Sir pays for all of us.” Seventh grader Rafi added, “Everyone can study freely now. It’s a huge help.”

A lasting legacy

Former students also recognize the impact. Anik Rahman, now chair of the Political Science Department at Bhuyapur’s Ibrahim Khan Government College, said, “From the beginning, he taught here without pay. Today, he has made education free for the new generation. It’s an extraordinary act of generosity.”

Sadly, Abdul Hamid Bhuiyan himself could not comment — he has been critically ill for more than two months, receiving treatment in an ICU in Thailand. His son, Mahbubul Haque Bhuiyan, deputy executive director of SSS, said:
“My father started this initiative, and we will continue it. Beyond paying fees, we also plan to take further steps, both through SSS and personally, to improve the school.”

Through his lifelong commitment, Bhuiyan has ensured that the children of Rasulpur can dream beyond the boundaries that once held them back.