Even without hands, Dukhu Mia pens the dreams of hundreds

Once, he was not able to get a place in a madrasa. Now, he lights the path of education for hundreds of children

Altaf Hossain, better known as “Dukhu Mia”, has not had hands since birth. Deprivation and ridicule have accompanied him every step of the way through his life. But his indomitable willpower has overcome the jokes and his physical limitations. Now, writing on blackboards with his feet, Dukhu Mia lights the way for hundreds of children through education.

Altaf Hossain, aka Dukhu Mia, was born in 1962 in Narsingdi’s Panchdona village. He has not had hands since birth. But because of the infinite love and encouragement of his parents, he has never considered himself a burden on society.

Dukhu Mia’s parents taught him to complete his daily tasks using his feet. Slowly, his confidence grew.

Noting Dukhu Mia's interest in studies, his father took him to a madrasa for admission when he was young. The teachers did not allow his admission, arguing that holding Arabic books with his feet was forbidden. This forced his father to enrol him at a regular school.

In school, Dukhu Mia faced ridicule from classmates and various other adversities, but he never gave up. He overcame these obstacles to completed his Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exams, and later his graduation from Narsingdi Government College.

Despite his educational achievements, Dukhu Mia was repeatedly denied employment due to his physical disability. Though society turned its back on him, he refused to turn away from society. The disappointment did not consume him. Instead, he chose to pass on the knowledge he had acquired to children.

Dukhu Mia established the “Prativa Dukhu Mia Kindergarten” in 2007 on his ancestral property. Although he built this school to support his family, it quickly transformed into a unique institution for the development of young children.

For almost two decades, Dukhu Mia has not only been providing textbook education to hundreds of children, he has also taught them lessons of compassion, respect and humanity, all while writing on blackboards with his feet.

Dukhu Mia has endured personal deprivation, but continued to struggle for the welfare of society.

The “Prativa Dukhu Mia Kindergarten” now teaches up to the fifth grade, with about 150 students in total. Dukhu Mia’s dream is for the school to expand to the eighth grade.

There are nine other teachers in Dukhu Mia’s school. He sometimes struggles to pay everyone’s salaries.

Dukhu Mia's son Momenul Islam also tried to find a good job after completing his studies. When he could not, he joined his father's school as a teacher.