Nilphamari roads find salvation in high school dropout

An altruistic man is rare to come by, especially one in the prime of their life. Nilphamari’s 27-year-old Manjil Haque has chosen to devote his life to fix the roads in his locality. Manjil is in the habit of voluntarily repairing the unpaved roads in his area. It is not a recent initiative, he has been doing this over 10 years without any assistance from the government or any other organizations. He asks for no money or other benefits in return. Over a decade ago, he was forced to quit his studies after the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exams due to financial troubles. Instead of pursuing work for money or to fund his education, he instead focused his energies on activities for the betterment of the community. According to the locals of Chapra Samrajani union, the unpaved roads stay usable throughout the year only because of Manjil’s efforts. “Wherever he finds potholes, he repairs it. He even helps the local administration to repair the roads, but the authorities have never paid him for his labour,” said locals. “I learnt from my teachers that we should always work for the betterment of our society. Many wealthy people contribute to the development of the country with their wealth. I do not have that much money but I want to do something for my country. I want to live through my works among the people,” Manjil told the Dhaka Tribune. Khalilur Rahman, chairman of Nilphamari Sadar upazila’s Chapra Saramjani union, said: “I heard about Manjil and wish the best for him. If the country nurtured more people like Manjil, the country would be leaping ahead.”