Tag Archives: Ariful Islam

Assam’s Dr Rubul Ahmed’s mission is to treat the needy all his life

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Scientists (wef. August 27th,m 2023), Useful / HEALTHCARE, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Bongaigaon (Bongaigaon District), ASSAM :

Dr. Rubul Ahmed with a patient at his no-fees clinic

At a time when doctors are charging exorbitant fees in the name of treatment and the skyrocketing prices of medicines have cut big holes in patients’ pockets, a young doctor in Assam has become a messiah for many patients.     

Dr Rubul Ahmed from Assam’s Bongaigaon district has started a free health camp every Thursday for a week to treat poor and needy patients. Dr Ahmed is a doctor working in Bongaigaon Civil Hospital in lower Assam.

Dr. Ahmed has been providing free health services to patients at Assam Medicine Centre, a private pharmacy located in Dhantula Bazar, Bangagaon every Thursday. His great work is being encouraged and supported by a voluntary organization called ‘Drishti’ About 50 to 80 patients, both male and female, are receiving free medical services from Dr. Rubul Ahmed in each health camp.

Dr. Rubul Ahmed

In an interview with Awaz-The Voice, Dr. Ahmed said; “I grew up in an underdeveloped area of Bongaigaon district with a mixed population. The love and blessings of the people of our area have motivated me to become a doctor. I will always be grateful to them. Most people in my area cannot afford costly advanced treatment. So, I have decided to help them by organizing a free health camp every Thursday for a week.”

Dr. Ahmed lost his father when he was a child. His mother worked very hard to educate him. Till the time he got admission to pursue an MBBS course to become a doctor, there was no electricity at his home. “So, I understand the plight of the poor people,” he said.

“After passing my MBBS examination from Gauhati Medical College in 2014, I worked as Chief Emergency Medical Officer at Nemecare Hospital in Guwahati. Then I worked as a doctor in a state hospital in Dhubri district under the National Health Mission. In January 2021, I joined Bangagaon Civil Hospital,” said Dr. Rubul Ahmed.

  Patients waiting for their turn at the free camp organised by Dr Rubul Ahmed 

“If we run after money every moment of our lives. So when will we work for people? I try to help people with the medical knowledge I have learned. After receiving free medical care from me, they can buy two good medicines with the money that ordinary people in this area normally use to pay doctor fees. If a very poor person comes to me for treatment, I will buy medicine for them with my own money,” Dr Ahmed said.

Dr. Rubul Ahmed has undertaken this great work in tribute to his late father Rahmanuddin Ahmed and his late mother Rupjan Begum. Dr. Rubul Ahmed’s great efforts will benefit many poor people in the Dhantula area in Bongaigaon district. He is committed and determined to continue his free treatment of patients till his last breath.

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Ariful Islam, Guwahati / December 11th, 2024

Assam highway tomb of freedom fighter Baga Maulvi is shrine of harmony

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Freedom Fighters (under research project), Travel & Tourism, Uncategorized, Uniquely Indian - Inter Faith (wef. February 08th, 2023), , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Marai Village, Siphajr (Darang District) , ASSAM :

Inside the shrine of Baga Baba

As National Highway-15 traverses through the village Marai of the Darang district in northern Assam, travellers see a shrine that commands the devotion and reverence of both Hindus and Muslims.

This is the shrine of Baba Baga which is visited by people of all faiths, and is especially popular among travelers who have taken the NH-15. Trucks and buses that come from far and wide stop here to offer prayers and make donations. All passenger buses and goods trucks stop here as the shrine management has kept drinking water available.

Baga Baba was born as Abdul Khaleque. He came to Assam in 1916 from the then Sylhet district (now in Bangladesh). Initially, he lived in Gog, Satsali, and Badalguri and finally settled down in Marai village of Sipajhar in 1919.

The shrine of Baga Baba in village Marai 

From there, he launched his mission of spreading Islam in the greater Darang district.  The Sufi cleric also joined the Indian freedom movement; he was also jailed.

Baga Baba died in 1933 and the locals raised a mausoleum (mazar) on his grave.

Speaking with Awaz-The Voice, Hafiz Ali, secretary of Baga Baba Mazar, said: “The cleric lit the torch of Islam here. Along with preaching the religion, he also spread the message of peace, harmony, and brotherhood. Then he sent Maulana Didaruddin Saheb to be educated as a maulana. Everybody believes Baga Baba to be an Auliya (master of some divine power) of Allah. Hindus and Muslims alike come here and pray.

“At present, people from all over Assam and India who travel through this highway donate at this mazar. Today the village has nine mosques. The inflow of people and pilgrims has increased over the years. Hindus and Muslims have equally contributed to it.

Drinking water facility at the shrine for travellers

The construction work of the mazar was initiated by former president Jiban Baruah. There are still many non-Muslims, such as Bhumidhar Saharia, Himanshu Kalita, and others, in the management committee of the Mazar,” he said.

The shrine hosts Milad sharif every Thursday of the week. In addition, a Urs is held every year on 12 of Magh (late January), the death anniversary of Baga Baba. People from different parts of India participate in the Urs. Although the Baga Baba Mazar is located on the northern side of NH 15, there is also a premises of the Mazar on the southern side of the road.

It is worth mentioning that the Baga Baba Mazar has played a significant role in maintaining Hindu-Muslim unity and harmony in the entire Darang district as well as in the greater Marai Bijulibari area.

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Ariful Islam, Sipajhar / June 25th, 2024

Awarding PIOs in recognition of their services

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BRUNEI / LIBYA  / SAUDI ARABIA  :

President Pranab Mukherjee honours Dr. Antonio Costa, Portugal Prime Minister, who received the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, as Suriname Vice-President Michael Ashwin Adhin and Union Minister V.K. Singh look on, in Bengaluru on Monday. | Photo Credit: G R N SOMASHEKAR;G R N SOMASHEKAR -
President Pranab Mukherjee honours Dr. Antonio Costa, Portugal Prime Minister, who received the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, as Suriname Vice-President Michael Ashwin Adhin and Union Minister V.K. Singh look on, in Bengaluru on Monday. | Photo Credit: G R N SOMASHEKAR;G R N SOMASHEKAR –

Winners of Pravasi Samman Awards include Portugal Prime Minister Dr. Antonio Costa

Her son was three years old when she realised that there was no school she could send him to. British and American schools were too expensive and she didn’t want to send him to a local school.

That prompted Zeenat Jafri to start the second Indian school in Saudi Arabia — International Indian School — in 1982 with her husband. She was among the 30 people feted for her achievement on Monday during the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, when the Pravasi Samman Awards were given away by President Pranab Mukherjee.

The 64-year-old MBA graduate from Bhopal, who was given the award for her contribution to the field of education, said she started the school from her house, gradually scaling it up   to now educate 12,000 people.

Another person of Indian origin who was recognised with the award was Ariful Islam, coordinator and nodal point in the Embassy of India in Libya.

The electrical engineer relocated from India to Libya in 1980 following a pact between the two nations. He has seen his adopted country go through the worst of times, but continues to live there alone, though his family has moved back to Aligarh. “I have spent half my life there. We have successfully rescued many Indians,” he said.

The rescuer

The most recent episode he was involved was in the rescue of three abducted Indians from the IS in a dramatic operation in 2016 from the deep Libyan deserts.

Among the organisations that were awarded were the Singapore Indian Association in the category of community service.

The event saw double the number of awardees as it was being held after an interval of two years.

Among the other prominent winners of the award were Portugal Prime Minister Antonio Luis Santos da Costa, Labour Member of the European Parliament representing the West Midlands Neena Gill, British politician Priti Patel and Mauritius Minister of Finance and Economic Development Pravind Kumar Jugnauth.

Nisha Desai Biswal, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs in the United States Department of State, who was also among the 30 awardees, said persons of Indian origin, who were building bridges and connecting in an “increasingly divided world,” retained strong ties with India, she said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National / by K.C. Deepika / Bengaluru – January 10th, 2017

Ariful Islam

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, NRI's / PIO's, World Opinion, ,

Aligarh, UTTAR PRADESH / Benghazi, LIBYA :

ArifulIslamMPOs16jan2018

Libya :

Mr. Ariful Islam resides in Benghazi, the second largest city of Libya.

Mr. Islam has been providing selfless service to Indians in Libya and has been instrumental in building trust between the Libyans and Indians.

Mr. Islam helped during the evacuation of Indian nationals from Libya during the civil unrest in 2011 and was amongst the last to leave from Libya.

His assistance in extricating Indian nationals from the eastern region was invaluable and was appreciated and recognized by Indian as well as the Libyan authorities.

He facilitated repatriating 287 Indian citizens from Benghazi by ship to Malta in August 2014.

He again helped the Mission in December 2014 January and February 2015 to evacuate subsequent batches of Indian nurses from Benghazi and arranged for their safe passage till Labrak airport, about 250 km from Benghazi, while the security situation was very fragile.

Although, he does not have active business now due to the civil war like situation and continuous fighting in Benghazi, he returned to Libya to assist in the evacuation of our nationals and to attend to other consular matters of our citizens and to follow up with the local authorities.

source: http://www.pbdindia.gov.in / Pravasi Bharatiya Divas / Home> Profile of Awardees / 07-09 January 2017, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India