Everyone was stressed about exams, and I was stressed about exam fees

To enable first-year girls from poor families to pursue higher education, IDLC and Prothom Alo Trust jointly provide ‘Advitiya’ scholarship. Under this scholarship, talented girls from underprivileged families get the opportunity to study at the Asian University for Women (AUW) in Chittagong. The university authorities ensure various facilities for them, including accommodation and tuition fee waiver.

Since 2012, 42 students have received this scholarship with the support of Transcom Group and since 2017, 86 more students have received this scholarship—a total of 128 students. Of them, 76 have already completed their graduation and many are in good positions in various institutions in the country and abroad. In 2025, 10 students received this scholarship as well. One of them is Husne Ara, a girl from Ita Tea Garden in Moulvibazar.

Husne Ara said that no girl from her tea garden had ever come to study at the university before. After her father's death in 2018, the family's responsibilities became even heavier. Her mother worked day and night to run the household. While sending her daughter to school, she often said, "I will teach you even if I sell my blood." These words still ring in Husne Ara's ears.

Reminiscing about her school life, Husne Ara said that while others were worried about preparing for the exam, her biggest worry was raising the exam fees. Whenever the exam time came, she would think, will I be able to pay the fees? Her father's poverty and financial uncertainty taught her to fight at every step.

In the hope of improving the family's financial situation, she bought a CNG car for her brother with the money from selling her grandmother's land and a loan. It seemed that this time, perhaps the sad days would end. At that time, on June 20, Husne Ara took the entrance exam for AUW. But on June 26, before she could pay the installment, the CNG car was stolen. Her mother's helpless tears that day still flow in her eyes.

Despite all the adversities, getting admission in AWW brought new hope to Husne Ara and her family. Currently, her brother occasionally drives a relative's mini pickup van to earn a little money, with which he meets his own expenses and some of his younger sister's needs.

Husne Ara's biggest concern now revolves around her younger sister. She does not want her to continue her studies by struggling with poverty like she did. She considers the unique scholarship a strong place of hope to make this path easier. She hopes that through this scholarship, she will become self-reliant and will no longer have to ask her mother for money.

This story of struggle of Husne Ara, a girl from Ita Tea Garden, is not just a success story of a student; it is a shining example of inspiration for countless underprivileged girls.