Prime Minister provides financial aid to cancer-stricken mother after students donate SSC exam celebration funds

SAKHIPUR, Tangail — A group of students who diverted their Secondary School Certificate (SSC) graduation celebration funds to aid a classmate’s ailing mother has prompted a significant humanitarian response, culminating in a government grant of 200,000 taka.

The funds were formally presented on Saturday at Koltan Biddaniketan in Kalidas village by Liberation War Affairs Minister A.K.M. Mozammel Haque. The donation was provided on behalf of the Prime Minister to support the cancer treatment of Laily Begum, the 45-year-old mother of student Naim Sikdar.

The crisis began when Laily Begum was diagnosed with cancer shortly before the SSC results were announced. The family’s financial situation was already precarious, as Naim’s father, Abdul Sikdar, had recently borrowed heavily to travel to Qatar for work, where he has yet to secure employment.

Upon learning of the diagnosis, Naim’s classmates collectively decided to forgo traditional celebratory festivities. Instead, they pooled their money and donated 40,000 taka to Naim’s grandfather, Abdus Sattar Sikdar, on August 16. This initial gesture inspired faculty members and students from other grades to join the fundraising effort.

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The students’ initiative gained widespread attention through media reports and social media, eventually reaching the Prime Minister’s office. Naim expressed that the support from his friends and the subsequent government grant have provided much-needed relief to his family, who had been facing a severe financial impasse.

Koltan Biddaniketan Director Md. Aminul Islam praised the students for their empathy, noting that their grassroots effort played a pivotal role in securing the national-level assistance. Friends of Naim, including Imran, Zahid, and Apon, previously stated that supporting their classmate’s family brought them more satisfaction than any personal celebration could have.

Saturday’s event was presided over by Sakhipur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md. Ashraful Alam. Minister A.K.M. Mozammel Haque served as the chief guest, with local political and community leaders also in attendance to honor the students’ altruism. Laily Begum is currently receiving treatment at Khwaja Yunus Ali Medical College and Hospital in Sirajganj.