Dilruba Jaman

“My name is Dilruba Jaman. I was born and raised in a small hut in Central Community Camp (CC Camp) in Dhaka. We are three siblings. My younger brother is studying in college with the support of OBAT as well. My father runs a small tea stall in the camp. He makes ends meet somehow with his  paltry income.

I started my journey with OBAT Helpers in 2010 when I took admission in OBAT’s Tutoring Center to prepare for my SSC (Secondary  School Certificate) exam.  I was the only science student in my class. I passed my SSC exam in 2011 with a Golden A+ or a 5.0 GPA.  In 2013, I passed my HSC (High School Certificate) exam with a 5.0 GPA as well.  After completion of HSC, I appeared for an admission test for medical school but unfortunately missed making it by a couple of points. I was very dejected and about to give up hope. One day, the President of OBAT Helpers, Mr. Anwar Khan, visited my home.  It was a huge surprise for me. I was extremely honored to have the Founder and President of OBAT visiting my house to just speak with me.  He asked me about my plans for higher education and  I explained that I really wanted to continue my studies.  Building my career in the pharmaceutical or medical field was a dream that I shared with my father. After hearing everything, he not only encouraged me but also promised me that he will provide me with all support needed to continue my education.

With the support of OBAT, I took admission in  the Pharmacy Department of  University of Asia Pacific. This is a renowned, private university and its pharmacy department is  considered at par with that of the Dhaka University. In 2017, I received a Dean’s Award which is given for distinguished academic achievement. I received a scholarship for 50% of my educational expenses from OBAT between 2015 to 2018. With this support, I completed my B.Pharmacy degree and now I am a registered pharmacist. This is a huge achievement of my life. It would not have been possible for me and my family to pursue this dream without the support of OBAT.

OBAT not only supported me financially but also gave me the chance to volunteer as a member of the Think Tank and equipped me with the skills and tools to grow as a young community leader. I can now represent my community, OBAT and its activities in different  walks of life. There are many other young students who have dreams but they don’t have the means to pursue them. With the help of scholarships, they would be able to study subjects of their choice and achieve a lot more than they could with their limited resources. I hope that other students can get scholarships too to study well and do good things, to be successful and to in turn, educate others. I will always be very grateful to OBAT and to Mr. Anwar Khan for standing by me and for giving me this opportunity.”

Dilruba is currently working as a registered pharmacist and has even received recognition for her work with her team. A local newspaper, “Kaler Kantha,” published their work on “Antibiotic Resistance Awareness Campaign.” Dilruba and her team received the runners-up trophy on the exhibition program organized by the University of Asia Pacific.