HATIYA, Noakhali — Abul Kalam Sumon passed the 16th teachers’ registration exam for the entrepreneurship development lecturer post and ranked 65th on the national merit list, but never got a job because his certificate expired. He now farms by day and sells jhalmuri by night to support his eight-member family. He said he feels no shame or regret. “It is better than being unemployed,” he said, adding that he hopes to open a food shop if he can afford it.
Sumon, a young man from Hatiya upazila in Noakhali whose dreams were dashed, completed his honors degree in management at Noakhali Government College in 2011 and his master’s degree in management at the same college in 2012. He had hoped to find a good job or to teach. Although he received the entrepreneurship development lecturer certificate from the NTRCA, that hope went unfulfilled.
He said he should have been hired based on the 16th teachers’ registration ranking. But candidates hired before him whose first jobs did not become permanent got a second chance to apply, and as a result he never received a posting, he said.
He later worked as a fisheries coordinator under the CDSP-4 project and became unemployed when the project ended. He then began farming with his father. Md. Hasan, the assistant agriculture officer of Hatiya municipality, provided seeds and fertilizer to help him with his farming, Sumon said.
His family of eight includes his parents, siblings, wife and children. As the eldest son, he cultivates about two acres of his own and leased land. He farms with his father by day and sells jhalmuri at night to make ends meet, he said.
Sumon, son of Abul Hashem of Charlatia village in Ward 2 of Hatiya municipality, sells jhalmuri every evening at the north corner of Hatiya court. He has been doing so for the past few months.
On a recent visit to his stall, teachers, students and people from various walks of life were seen crowding around to buy jhalmuri.
Sohel, an assistant teacher at Hatiya Town Girls’ High School, was eating jhalmuri at the stall. He said Sumon was an example for unemployed and idle young men. “Sumon is a good and hardworking person,” he said. “The government’s relevant departments should help educated unemployed people like him and create jobs.”
Speaking about his work and his future plans, Sumon said he sells about 1,000 taka worth of jhalmuri each day from evening until 9:30 p.m. “After expenses, I am left with a small amount,” he said. “If I get the capital, I will run a food shop.”
Khorshed Alam, the additional youth development officer of Hatiya upazila, said his department has certain criteria for support. He said he would review Sumon’s case under those criteria or find another way to help.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report