The mother of all
The life struggles and goals of Zublee Begum Ranu, the deputy superintendent of Chotomoni Nibash, a government-run children's home in the capital's Azimpur, are different – perhaps even unique.
She runs the shelter home for lost and abandoned kids.
Ranu, who is now in her late 50s, has no family of her own. But ask her, and she'll tell you differently.
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"These children are my family. I am their mother," she told The Business Standard.
The kids of Chotomoni Nibash call her Khalamoni (aunty).
Zublee Begum took charge of Chotomoni Nibash, which is operated under the Department of Social Services, in 2016 and has been serving at the institution ever since.
Asked what her life was like before joining the children's home, she paused for a second and said, "I have worked as a social service officer my entire life. I have dealt with people at the grassroots level, especially underprivileged ones. This is what I do best."
Chotomoni Nibash takes on abandoned children aged between one day to seven years. Aside from shelter, the organisation provides food, education, and recreation to the kids as much as possible. If anyone suffers from illnesses, Chotomoni Nibash treats them.
"Some have allergies, partial blindness, autism and different illnesses. But whatever it is, they are my children. We are a family," Ranu said.
After taking charge of the home, Ranu has so far ensured adoption for 200 children.
"It is hard to hold back tears when we give up a child for adoption. Two of our kids left for America a few days ago. They cried the whole night before the flight. They did not want to leave this home," she said.
"We do not give children to adopters who are over 50-years-old because they may not be able to take care of the children for long. We also do not give children to a joint family because they may be a victim of outrage. We want to make sure of the future of these children."
The early life of Ranu
Born in 1966 in Alamdanga upazila in Chuadanga, Ranu and her siblings grew up in a rural environment. She was the eldest of seven siblings. Her father Ayub Hossain and forefathers were involved in politics.
"I passed SSC from Alamdanga Girls School in 1983 and an unexpected incident happened right after. My father arranged my marriage with a Dhaka University student. I had to get married but it did not last long," she said.
"My husband was very conservative in nature. He had a particular political ideology, associated with a radical organisation based on religion. He did not agree with my idea of higher education," Ranu continued.
"The marriage lasted for two years. Our relationship was bitter and full of altercations. I had to break it off," Ranu said.
"Anyway, in the midst of all this, I was able to complete my HSC examination from Alamdanga Girls College and went to Rajshahi University to study Bengali literature," she said
"Meanwhile, my father arranged another marriage for me but on the condition of giving Tk15 lakh dowry to the groom. As soon as I heard about the deal, I left home, leaving my father angry for months," Ranu said, adding that it took some time for her father to let her go on her way.
"I started studying Bengali literature at Rajshahi University in 1986-1987, at a time when the anti-Ershad movement peaked. I grew up in a political atmosphere but did not join any student organisation at the university," she said.
"After finishing university education, I started teaching at a private college in the area, while also trying to get a government job.
"I worked as an assistant in a research institute for some time and got a government job. My first posting was in Meherpur after getting a job as an upazila social service officer," she said.
"Soon after I got the job, the old-age allowance of Tk100 was launched. I used to make sure that the right person got the allowance. Being an upazila officer was a privilege and I used to roam around the area. I tried my best to help the elderly, the poor and the needy and in return, I got lots of love from people," Ranu said.
"I used to enjoy fieldwork more. In my long service career, I worked with orphanages, voluntary organisations, Dalit-Harijan community. I spent the first two and a half years of my career in Meherpur, and the next seven and a half years in Kushtia, before coming to Dhaka in 2009," she said.
"My work in Dhaka was more intense because there are more people here. I mostly worked with underprivileged people in Lalbagh, Hazaribagh, and Chawkbazar. It feels really good to be of service to people. Besides, I could work more as I am a free person without a family," Ranu added.
When asked why she have not gotten married a second time by her own choice, she gave a strange reply, "I had a broken marriage, which marked a black spot on me. I am the one who carries the memory of the broken marriage and did not want to impose on anyone with that burden."
When asked about her future plans, she said, "I love to travel. I have a girlfriend and last year, we both visited India's Agra, Delhi, and Kashmir together. I have three more years to retire but, in the meantime, I have gotten attached to my children. I wish I could build a better world for them."
