Shamima Khatun Our Correspondent
MAGURA, June 21: It's the story of an extraordinary youth, Shamima Khatun, from an impoverished village of Magura district, whose formidable role as the wicket keeper helped the Bangladesh team win the Asia Cup cricket.
Shamima came of a very poor family at underdeveloped Kamlapur village in Sreepur upazila of the district.
Her father Solayman Shekh who was a sharecropper had a very hard time in maintaining his six-member family with his meager income.
He was facing difficulties in meeting the educational expenses of his children.
But Shamima was determined to receive higher education and poverty could not hinder her indomitable thirst for education.
Defying all odds, she has obtained master's degree from Razendra University College in Faridpur.
Since her childhood, she had cherished great interest for cricket besides education.
She used to play cricket with other boys of her village. But conservative environment of the village became a barrier to her cricket playing.
Finding no other alternative, he got admitted to Magura Cricket Academy.
Shamima's father Soleman Shekh said, "Shamima has continued her study ignoring extreme poverty. Side by side, she was too much cooperative to my farm activities."
"She helped me in all activities from seed sowing to paddy husking. Even she carried paddy to my house from field. The hand which carried paddy bundle is now holding Asia Cup. I am unable to express my feeling over such success of my daughter."
When contacted, Shamima said, "Once my villagers disliked me for my cricket passion. But after winning Asia Cup, they have given me rousing reception in my village. I came in cricket out of fascination not for livelihood."
"But cricket has brought solvency in my family .Earlier my father had no land of his own. But now he owns five bigha land, she added.
"I have a dream to build a cricket club in my village and I seek government patronisation in this regard."
Assistant professor of Kamlapur College Liakot Hossen said,
"I don't think that Shamima is only a successful cricketer. I feel she is a great cricket organiser."
When she comes to the village, she coaches the local girls every day. Moreover, after every Eid she arranges a cricket match at the village.
"A cricket-friendly environment is prevailing in the village centering Shamima.
So I like to term Shmima a successful cricket organiser as well as a cricket player," he said.
Deputy commissioner Md Atiqur Rahman said, "We are proud of Shamima. We appreciate her dream of setting up a cricket academy in her own village and we shall help her in this regard to our level best."
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