At long last they learn Bangla

Usually, most of the children of such families can not avail education because of language barrier and become involved in petty crimes and anti-social activities from tender age.

Besides preparing children for education, the initiative by the youths keeps them away from crimes, thereby contributing to improvement in law and order, people said.

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The voluntary programme is run under the banner of a socio-cultural organisation, Satirtho, without any help from government or any NGO.

Mother tongue of majority of the population of Saidpur town is Urdu. They are Biharis, who migrated from India after partition of the sub-continent in 1947.

Starting in August 2004, Satirtho now runs two pre-schooling centres and has opened a library, from where Urdu speaking boys and girls get books in Bangla for free.

Every day, in the afternoon, poor Bihari children come to the centres. They are provided with Bangla text books and other materials for free. About 100 children attend classes in a shift. So far, over 500 children who availed the pre-schooling facility have been enrolled in different primary schools in the town, said Satirtha secretary Abdul Malek.

It also runs a cultural organisation styled Satirtho Shahittya O Sangskritik Sangathon.

Shatirtha's efforts got appreciation from local people. The BBC Bangla service also broadcast a report on their social services.

Like many others, Babba, Zahid, Sabbir, Shakila are now students of a Bangla medium primary school after pre-schooling at the Satirtha centre. They said they do not face any problem in reading and writing Bangla at school.

Talking to this correspondent, Urdu speaking Garib Mohammad said his parents did not allow him education at any Bangla medium school, thinking that they would repatriate to Pakistan. "This was a mistake. I will sent my children to primary school after completion of the language course in Shatirtho".

The ruling party lawmaker from Saidpur Amzad Hossen Sarkar remarked that Shatirtho members are helping to create a society with moral value.

Shatirtho president Narziz Banu, a teacher of Saidpur College, said she is associated with this organisation out of her affection to its students. They are doing a commendable job, she said.

Its activities will be expanded to cover more Urdu speaking childfren, said its secretary Abdul Malek.