Disability is not inability

Disability is no barrier to success, and 12-year-old Touhidul Islam alias Chand Miah has proved it by achieving Grade Point Average (GPA)-4.25 in this year's Primary Terminal Examinations.

Born without hands, Touhid, a student of Protibondhi Bidyalaya in Ghatail of Tangail, took part in the examinations at Dakkhin Ghatail Government Primary School centre, writing answer scripts with his legs.

Bhajan Chandra Nath, headmaster of Protibondhi Bidaloy, expressed happiness over Touhidul's success.

"As many as four disabled students took part in this year's Primary Terminal Examinations from the institution. Of them, Touhid got A grade and the rest achieved B grade," he said.

Expressing pleasure, Touhid's mother Ratna Khatun and her Dubai expatriate husband Fazlul Haque said they are trying to make their son educated so that he can live in the society with honour.

Regarding the success, Touhid said he wants to be a proud schoolteacher in future.

When Touhid was only four, his father went to Dubai for earning. He is the second of the two children of Fazlul and Ratna of Garotto village in Tangail's Ghatail upazila.

Later, his mother helped him to write letters with his legs at the age of seven, Touhid was admitted to a school for children with challenges at Chandusi in Ghatail, eight kilometres from his house.

Ratna accompanies her son to school daily, walking one kilometre to the nearby Kadomtali bus stand and then taking a seven-kilometre ride by bus or three-wheeler.

Despite physical challenge, Touhid loves playing and often plays with other boys in the field, said Ratna.