Mahfuza Aktar Shila, ‘the Gold Girl of Bangladesh’, who won four gold medals for the country in swimming, including two in the ongoing 12th SA Games in Guwahati of India, has been forced to sell two of her medals to bear her father’s treatment expenses.
Shila, who hails from a poor family at Pachnkabar village in Abhaynagar upazila of Jessore district, bagged two gold medals in the Games in the 100m and the 50m breaststroke by setting up a new record.
As if it has turned into a habit for Shila to win medals in pool but she has failed to beat her family’s economic crisis.
Shila’s father Ali Ahammad Gazi, who is suffering from heart disease and has become weak due to illness, is struggling to maintain his family by selling dairy milk and cultivating land as share-cropper.
“Shila sold her two gold medals for treatment of my heart disease as I failed to make arrangement for the same for a lack of money,” said Gazi with tears rolling down his eyes.
Karimon Nesa, mother of the Gold Girl, said, “We bear expenses for Shila’s study and sports by selling milk and taking loan from NGOs and locals.”
“My daughter brought the country hounour by winning medals abroad but no one tries to understand our misery; how we are running our family or how we bear up Shila,” added Karimon.
This correspondent found during his visit that Shila’s father and mother along with their other four children were living in a tin-shed half-ruined house, where electricity is a day-dream to them.
Jessore DC in Shila’s house
Deputy Commissioner of Jessore district Dr Humayun Kabir yesterday visited Mahfuza Aktar Shila’s house in Abhaynagar upazila to assess himself the financial plight the Gold Girl’s family is in.
Shila’s house will now get electricity connection within seven days and a road connecting the house will also be constructed, Dr Humayun assured Shila’s parents during the visit.
Dr Humayun also greeted Shila’s father and her mother on their daughter’s outstanding performance in
the ongoing Games and gave a good hearing to their miseries.
