Desk Report:
The lives of about 250 children living in the capital’s Jamia Mohammadia Hafizia Madrasa and orphanage are very limited, with a few boxes, a bed and a small trunk. For these children, who are far from their families, holidays are often as joyless as any other day. The lack of love and family happiness makes their childhood lonely.
However, the Anvir Bashundhara Group (ABG) Foundation is spreading love and joy in that lonely life. On the initiative of the foundation’s chairman, Sayem Sobhan Anvir, food is being regularly provided for orphans and underprivileged children. Every Friday after Friday prayers, high-quality food is being handed over to these children. Along with nutritious food, this initiative is awakening in them the feeling of being cared for like a relative.
Not only by distributing food regularly, Sayem Sobhan Anvir also chooses to stand by the underprivileged children on his special days. Even on personal occasions like birthdays, he gives more importance to seeing smiles on the faces of orphans than grand celebrations.
In continuation of this humanitarian initiative, special food packets and entertainment were arranged for children after Friday prayers at various madrasas and orphanages in Dhaka on Friday (August 7). Those concerned say that this arrangement is not only limited to curbing hunger; rather, it also conveys a message of society’s responsibility and compassion towards children.
Some madrasa students said that Friday is a little different for them compared to other days of the week. Whenever Friday comes, they wait for special food. After receiving the food, you can see the joy and relief on their faces.
A student said that many orphans have had the opportunity to eat good food after a long time. Everyone is happy about it. Anvir Bashundhara Group (ABG) Foundation Chairman Sayem Sobhan praised Anvir for such an initiative and said that he can always be by the side of the madrasa students and orphans – this is their expectation.
Madrasa founder and principal Maulana Abdul Latif Farooqui thanked ABG Foundation Chairman Sayem Sobhan Anvir and said that such initiatives not only fulfill the food needs of children, but also play a positive role in their mental development. It also creates a belief in children that there are still many compassionate people in the society.
He said that the smiles of joy that have appeared on the faces of orphaned children after receiving food through Sayem Sobhan Anvir’s initiative should be further expanded. He also expressed the hope that such humanitarian activities will continue in the future.
Madrasa assistant teacher Maulana Rafiqul Islam said that Sayem Sobhan Anvir has been doing humanitarian work silently for a long time without any formality or expectation of publicity. Food is being provided for students and orphaned children through his initiative, which is truly commendable.
He also said that this initiative of ABG Foundation is very beautiful and beneficial. They are hopeful that the organization will stand by the people on a larger scale in the future.
According to information from those concerned, at least 1,500 helpless people and 500 orphans are regularly provided food every Friday under the initiative of Sayem Sobhan Anvir, chairman of the top industrial group Anvir Bashundhara Group (ABG). In addition, ABG Foundation has been conducting various social activities such as distributing Sahri and Iftar during the holy month of Ramadan, distributing meat on Eid al-Adha, providing winter clothes and providing educational assistance.
Sayem Sobhan Anvir attaches importance to this activity of being by the side of people from the perspective of social responsibility as well as business success. He has continued to extend a helping hand to underprivileged and orphaned children on his various special days.
ABG Foundation Senior Executive Gazi Badal said, “ABG Foundation is a social and welfare organization. Every week, quality food has been distributed to orphans and helpless students in four madrasas in the capital. The foundation regularly distributes food to underprivileged people and orphaned students. This activity will continue in the future.’
Beyond his business identity, Sayem Sobhan Anvir has another identity—a charitable person who stands silently by the side of people. Much of his humanitarian work remains hidden from publicity. Those who have seen his work closely know how extensive his scope of assistance is for the underprivileged.
This continuity of extending a helping hand at various levels, from individual initiatives to institutional activities for the welfare of people, has given a different dimension to the activities of ABG Foundation. And the biggest achievement of that initiative is a smile on the faces of underprivileged children.
