Farmers by day, students by night, two siblings now teachers

They would harvest paddy with their father under the scorching sun in the haor. Sometimes they would lift the burden from their father's head onto their own shoulders, sometimes they would lend a hand to their mother's work. After working in the fields day after day, the two brothers Rubel Das and Rahul Das would sit with books at night. Poverty could not block their path to education. While continuing agricultural work alongside their studies, both are now assistant teachers at government primary schools.

Rubel (30) and Rahul (28) are sons of farmer Rabindra Das of Almanagar village in Baniyachong Upazila of Habiganj. Elder brother Rubel joined as an assistant teacher at a government primary school in 2023. And Rahul passed the 2025 recruitment exam and recently received his appointment letter. He will join work soon.

But the two brothers do not want to stop just because they have gotten teaching jobs. They are preparing for the BCS with the goal of teaching at a college in the future. Alongside that, they also work in agriculture with their father whenever they get the chance.

Rahul said their father did not own any land. From childhood, they used to farm with their father on barga (sharecropped) land. After working in the fields all day, they would sit with books in the evening. Even though they could not go to school regularly, they did well in exams.

Rahul passed HSC from Sachindra Degree College in Baniyachong in 2015 and studied Bengali at Kabi Nazrul Government College in Dhaka. Elder brother Rubel also passed HSC in 2012. Even though they stayed in Dhaka for their studies, the pull of agricultural work would bring them back home. Whenever they got the chance, they would work in the fields with their father.

After completing his bachelor's degree, Rahul got a job in the Postal Department. But because of the job, he could not give time to agricultural work and studies. So he quit the job. His wish was to join a profession where he could continue teaching as well as farming.

Rahul has already participated in six bank recruitment exams. He has also participated in the BCS preliminary exam thrice. He said he could not pass by a small margin. Since he still has the age, he plans to participate in the BCS exam in the future as well.

Among four brothers and one sister, Rubel and Rahul are the eldest. Younger brother Tushar has completed his bachelor's degree, and Hridoy is studying in the eleventh grade. Their sister Rubi died in an accident in 2018 while studying in the ninth grade.

Rubel said that at one time they had no land. Their father and four brothers worked in agriculture for a long time, and now they have bought some land in the haor. In the future, they want to buy more land and ease some of their father's hardship.
Rubel and Rahul's acquaintance Surya Kumar Baishnab said that although the two brothers are good at their studies, they have never given up agricultural work. Even now they lend a hand in their parents' work and help anyone in the village who falls into trouble.

Father Rabindra Das said, "I did not get the opportunity to study myself. I did not want my sons to remain like me. So even though it was difficult, I educated them. Now seeing them working in agriculture even after becoming educated gives me great joy."

Mother Safala Rani Das said that when she is ill, her two sons stay awake at night by her side. After returning from work, they oil her head and cook for her. In her words, "My sons are people of the soil."

Vice-Chancellor of Sylhet Metropolitan University and Professor of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Dr. Mohammad Zahirul Haque, said that farmer Rabindra Das's struggle and efforts to raise his children are exemplary. According to him, the story of this family can inspire young people to continue their studies even in difficult circumstances.