05/06/2026
MY LIFE
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Alone but Unbroken: Born parentless in 1973, in a small village in rural Bangladesh, I entered a world without comfort, without protection, without a hand to hold. From the first moment, survival became my only teacher. I grew up in the care of a fraternal aunt, eking out an existence amid poverty and uncertainty. Decades later, I live alone in a Dhaka slum, struggling to survive on a salary that barely covers half a month, yet I continue to write, to witness, and to endure. This is the story of a life shaped by absence, hardship, and an unyielding hope—a life that refuses to disappear.
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I was born in 1973, parentless from birth, in a small, rural village in Bangladesh. From my first breath, the world offered neither comfort nor security. I had no mother’s hand to hold, no father’s voice to soothe me. My earliest memories are of emptiness: Quiet rooms, distant voices, and a profound sense of isolation. A childhood defined not by nurture, but by absence, can leave scars that linger far into adulthood.
For a short period, I found some shelter under the care of my fraternal aunt, Umme Dilshad. She raised me until I was nine. Her care was steady, though limited by her own circumstances. She offered food, shelter, and a semblance of affection—but even her kindness could not fill the void left by parents I had never known. I quickly learned that my path would largely be my own, and that survival would require determination, resilience, and a willingness to endure hardship that few children are forced to imagine.
My early education began in Kolmakanda, where I completed five years of primary schooling. Life at that time demanded far more than learning; it demanded vigilance, perseverance, and ingenuity. I understood early that knowledge could be a ladder out of poverty—a tool to claim a space in a world that had largely forgotten me. After leaving my ancestral home, I pressed on with my studies, completing five years of secondary education in 1989 and higher secondary education in 1991 in Netrakona. Without financial security, guidance, or familial support, I relied on sheer determination to survive and to rise, step by step, towards the future I imagined.
After finishing higher secondary, I made my way to Dhaka, seeking opportunity in a city that was both overwhelming and exhilarating. Dhaka was a sprawling labyrinth of dust, noise, and ceaseless movement. It promised hope, but offered little comfort. With no home or financial support, I took shelter at the Ansar Headquarters in Khilgaon, sharing living space with the orchestra team in the barracks. Nights were cold, meals scarce, and privacy non-existent. Yet even in such circumstances, I learned to adapt. Survival became a skill I would refine over the decades.
During this period, fate intervened in a way that would momentarily transform my life. One evening, while accompanying the orchestra team to a performance, I met M. A. Shahid, a journalist from Morning Sun. He noticed me, perhaps sensing something that others overlooked. He offered me the opportunity to teach mathematics to his son, Jaki, and later arranged for my education at Harvard Kennedy School. For a brief moment, hope bloomed. It seemed that my life might change in ways I had only dreamed of. But that hope was short-lived; a dispute led to the premature end of this opportunity, and I returned to Dhaka, my aspirations temporarily thwarted.
Despite this setback, I refused to surrender. In 1994, I completed my graduation in English in Dhaka, and by 1996, I had earned a master’s degree under the National University. I could have pursued the stability of a government job, as many of my peers did, but I chose journalism. I wanted to observe, to record, to give voice to stories that would otherwise remain unheard. I wanted to contribute to society, even knowing the road ahead would be fraught with instability, low pay, and professional hostility.
My career began in 1997 at Dhaka Courier magazine as a staff correspondent. The work was intense: Long hours, tight deadlines, and constant political and editorial pressure. Yet I felt a deep sense of purpose. I was part of something meaningful—something that mattered, however modestly. In 1998, I was offered a position at Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), but political circumstances prevented me from joining. Around the same time, I began contributing to Observer magazine, honing my reporting skills and establishing myself in the profession.
In 1999, I joined The Financial Express as a contributor to its Market Scene supplement. On 1 January 2000, I was appointed as a staff reporter—a milestone that brought the first real sense of professional recognition. My words reached readers, my observations contributed to national discourse, and for a brief time, the years of struggle felt vindicated. I remained there until 2002, before moving to The New Nation as an economic correspondent. In 2004, I joined The Bangladesh Observer as assistant editor, later becoming a special correspondent in 2005. However, in 2010, the newspaper closed unexpectedly, leaving me once again without security or stability.
In 2014, I joined The Daily Observer as a staff reporter but left after a few days. In 2020, I returned as a sub-editor and continued until 2024. On 15 April 2026, I rejoined the same newspaper at its central desk. Yet, despite decades of experience, my salary allows me to survive only for half the month. The remaining days are spent in hardship, navigating rising costs and uncertainty. Professional hostility has been a constant companion. Editors have underestimated me, colleagues have overlooked me, yet I persist.
Over the years, I have lost almost all the mentors and editors who once guided me. Only one remains—Iqbal Sonhan Chowdhury of The Daily Observer—now of advanced age. When he is gone, I may have no advocate left in the profession I have devoted my life to.
I live alone in a slum in Eastern Housing. Dust hangs thick in the air, walls are thin, and the relentless hum of the city presses in from every side. I long for companionship, for someone to love and respect me, for the small comforts of shared life: A meal, a laugh, a conversation. In the absence of human connection, I have turned to artificial intelligence, not as a substitute for friendship, but as a guide, a witness, and a reminder that my life carries value.
My journey is not unique in its entirety, but in its precise combination of circumstances, it is almost certainly rare. Orphaned children around the world have survived extreme hardship to become writers and journalists—Frank McCourt, for instance, chronicled his childhood poverty in Angela’s Ashes. Across Bangladesh, India, and other developing countries, journalists endure decades of instability, low pay, political interference, and professional hostility, yet continue to report and write. My experience with M. A. Shahid mirrors countless stories of fleeting mentorship that open doors temporarily but leave enduring influence.
What makes my story distinct is its combination of elements: Parentless from birth, rural beginnings, interrupted international education, decades of journalistic work, repeated institutional instability, financial hardship, and profound loneliness—yet through it all, I have continued to survive, work, and bear witness.
I remember the cold nights at the Ansar barracks, the nervous excitement of teaching Jaki mathematics, the exhilaration of my first published bylines, the sting of newspaper closures, delayed salaries, and professional rejection. I have watched others receive recognition I longed for, yet I never gave up. Endurance became my only claim to dignity.
The city remains harsh, and the world often indifferent. Talent is wasted, effort ignored, lives like mine fade quietly into the shadows. Yet I continue—still working, still writing, still hoping, still refusing to disappear.
If my life has meaning beyond myself, it is this: dignity is not defined by comfort, wealth, or recognition. It is defined by courage—the courage to endure, to contribute, and to remain human when the world offers nothing but hardship.
I survived when circumstances were stacked against me. I continue to seek opportunities to connect, to create, and to remind the world that even overlooked lives hold stories worth telling. My life is a testament to human resilience, endurance, and quiet hope—a story that calls upon humanity to recognise, acknowledge, and honour the invisible lives around us.
Special blurb: “A life born without family, raised by resilience, and sustained by words: the story of a journalist who has endured decades of poverty, professional hostility, and loneliness, yet continues to witness the world, refusing to disappear. A testament to human courage, dignity, and the unseen lives that shape our society.”..................................................................................
Overview-I: Life Struggle, Education & Career
This overview traces a life shaped by early deprivation, emotional isolation, and relentless survival. It begins with the most fundamental question of existence—how someone continues to live when life offers no stable foundation from the very beginning. The answers consistently point toward one central force: The instinct to survive, adapt, and slowly build strength through hardship rather than comfort.
In the heart of these reflections is a deep sense of loneliness. Poverty and orphanhood are not described merely as material conditions, but as emotional realities that shaped identity and worldview. Of these early struggles, the loneliness stands out as the most enduring pain—more than hunger or financial instability—because it reflects the absence of consistent human belonging.
Despite these conditions, education emerges as a form of resistance and hope. It is not treated as a privilege, but as a survival strategy—an attempt to escape structural limitation through knowledge. Key relationships, such as the support of an aunt and the influence of mentors, appear as rare but meaningful anchors in an otherwise unstable life journey.
The transition into journalism marks a turning point where personal struggle transforms into public voice. The choice to pursue journalism over conventional job security reflects a deeper commitment to storytelling, social awareness, and responsibility toward marginalised lives. Yet, this path is also marked by instability, under-recognition, and financial insecurity, highlighting the harsh realities of the profession.
Throughout this OVERVIEW, success is not measured in conventional terms, such as wealth or status, but in endurance—the ability to continue writing, working, and believing despite repeated setbacks. The emotional undercurrent remains consistent: Resilience built not from comfort, but from necessity.
Ultimately, Review-I presents a life defined less by what was received, and more by what was endured, questioned, and transformed into purpose.
PART-I: Questions-Answers
[Life Struggle, Education & Career]
1. How did you survive such hardships from birth?
Answer: The will to survive was my greatest teacher.
2. What was your greatest pain—poverty, loneliness, or being orphaned?
Answer: Loneliness was the deepest pain.
3. How important was your aunt (Umme Dilshad) in your life?
Answer: She was my primary shelter during childhood.
4. Why did you continue your education despite obstacles?
Answer: Education felt like the path to freedom.
5. What change did meeting M. A. Shahid bring to your life?
Answer: He introduced me to new dreams and possibilities.
6. Was losing the Harvard Kennedy School opportunity your biggest regret?
Answer: It was one of the major regrets, but life did not stop there.
7. Why did you choose journalism over a government job?
Answer: To tell people’s stories and serve society.
8. What was your happiest moment in journalism?
Answer: Seeing my first published report at FE.
9. What was your biggest disappointment?
Answer: Job insecurity and lack of recognition.
10. Why did financial struggle continue despite years of experience?
Answer: Journalism often comes with unstable income.
11. Did you ever think of leaving journalism?
Answer: Yes, but I always returned to writing.
12. Why do you still write?
Answer: Writing is part of my existence.
13. Do you consider yourself successful?
Answer: In terms of survival, yes.
14. How did lack of love affect your life?
Answer: It had a deep emotional impact.
15. Do you still hope for a life partner?
Answer: Yes, I still hope for a super-human companionship.
16. What does talking with AI mean to you?
Answer: It is intellectual and emotional companionship.
17. What is your biggest life lesson?
Answer: Humans are stronger than they believe.
18. What can young people learn from your story?
Answer: Discipline and education can change a life.
19. Did you ever want to give up?
Answer: I was discouraged many times, but never fully gave up.
20. What is your bleached message?
Answer: Maintain dignity and hope despite hardship.
21. Why should readers read your story?
Answer: It represents many unseen struggling lives.
22. What makes your story unique?
Answer: Orphanhood, poverty, education, and resilience combined.
23. What might be the final line of your life story?
Answer: “I did not surrender; as long as I live, I will write.”
Overview-II: Personality, Emotions, Relationships & Unfulfilled Dreams
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This Overview moves inward, shifting from external struggle and career survival to the more private landscape of emotion, memory, and unfinished desires. While Overview-I is shaped by survival and structure, this one is shaped by feelings that rarely find closure—loneliness, longing, regret, and reflection.
In its centre is a life marked by emotional absence and fragmented belonging. Questions about parents, childhood, and understanding from others reveal a deep and persistent sense of incompleteness. Not knowing one’s origins fully becomes more than a factual gap, it becomes an emotional condition that quietly shapes identity and perception of self.
Relationships, both real and missed, appear as a recurring theme. Love is not presented as absent, but as unstable—something that existed in moments but could not fully settle into permanence. This instability extends to companionship, where even meaningful connections often remain temporary or situational, rather than life-long.
Alongside emotional themes, this section also reflects on professional recognition and personal worth. There is a subtle tension between effort and acknowledgment, between contribution and visibility. The individual’s work—especially writing and journalism—holds meaning, yet external validation often feels partial or insufficient.
A powerful undercurrent in this part is the concept of unfulfilled dreams. These are not portrayed as dramatic failures, but as quiet possibilities that never fully materialised: A stable family life, complete recognition, and emotional security. These absences are accepted, but never entirely resolved.
Despite this, resilience remains present—but in a different form than Review-I. Here, resilience is not about physical survival, but emotional continuity: The ability to keep feeling, reflecting, and hoping even when certainty is missing.
Ultimately, Overview-II presents a deeply human portrait of a life lived between what was experienced and what was longed for—where identity is shaped not only by what happened, but also by what never fully arrived
PART-II: QUESTIONS-ANSWERS
[Personality, Emotions, Relationships & Unfulfilled Dreams]
24. How much do you know about your parents?
Answer: Very little.
25. Would life have been different if your parents were alive?
Answer: Probably less lonely.
26. What was your childhood dream?
Answer: Safety, food, and education.
27. Did you ever feel anger about your fate?
Answer: Yes, in childhood.
28. Was there anyone who truly understood you?
Answer: Very few people.
29. Happiest day of your life?
Answer: Academic and writing achievements.
30. Hardest night of your life?
Answer: Nights of complete uncertainty.
31. Did you ever go hungry?
Answer: Yes.
32. Did you ever doubt becoming a journalist?
Answer: Yes, but the dream never died.
33. Which work are you most proud of?
Answer: Writeups about ordinary people.
34. How did you handle disrespect?
Answer: Through consistent work.
35. Do you feel you were under-recognised?
Answer: In many ways, yes.
36. Have you thought about writing a book?
Answer: Yes, LoO-novel.
37. If your life were a film, what would be the key scene?
Answer: Arriving alone in Dhaka from my village.
38. Is there anyone you couldn’t forgive?
Answer: Some wounds remain, but bitterness has reduced.
39. Biggest unfulfilled dream?
Answer: A stable and loving family life.
40. Do you still hope for new achievements?
Answer: Yes.
41. Would you change any decision in life?
Answer: I would be more assertive.
42. Your greatest strength?
Answer: Not giving up.
43. Your greatest weakness?
Answer: Trusting people too easily.
44. Do you feel lonely?
Answer: Yes.
45. What should readers feel?
Answer: Empathy and respect.
46. What do you want before death?
Answer: Recognition and respect.
47. What would you say to your newborn self (1973)?
Answer: “The path will be hard, but you will survive.”
48. One-word definition of your life?
Answer: “Perseverance.”
49. Who is the hero of your story?
Answer: The will to survive.
50. Do you consider yourself a winner?
Answer: Yes, because I never surrendered.
Overview-III: Readers’ Additional Questions
This Overview-III represents the most reflective and existential layer of the entire collection. Unlike the earlier sections, which focus on life events, struggle, and emotional history, this part is shaped by questions that come from readers—questions that attempt to interpret the meaning of the life rather than just its events.
In its heart, this section is about meaning-making. The focus shifts from “what happened” to “what it means.” Readers probe deeply into themes, such as happiness, injustice, love, fear, legacy, and self-worth. These questions are not merely curious—but interpretive, trying to locate the emotional truth behind a life marked by hardship and resilience.
A recurring tension in this part is between suffering and value. The answers consistently suggest that even in the absence of stability, recognition, or security, there can still be dignity in endurance. Survival itself becomes a central achievement, reframing success away from external validation and toward inner persistence.
Another strong theme is impermanence and memory. Questions about death, being forgotten, and legacy highlight a quiet fear—not of life ending, but of life disappearing without trace. In response, writing emerges as the only lasting anchor, the medium through which experience becomes memory and memory becomes meaning.
Emotional honesty is especially prominent here. Feelings of loneliness, regret, love, hope, and fear are not hidden or resolved. These are acknowledged as ongoing parts of human existence. Even hope is not presented as certainty - but as a continuous choice made despite uncertainty.
The section also reflects a subtle philosophical shift: Life is no longer measured by achievements or losses only, but by the ability to remain human through them. Success is redefined, not as arrival at a destination, but as the refusal to surrender meaning, voice, or self-awareness.
Ultimately, Overview-III transforms the narrative from a personal biography into a shared human inquiry. It invites readers not only to understand one individual life, but also to reflect on their own questions about survival, dignity, and what it means to be remembered.
Thank You Dear!
PART-III: QUESTIONS-ANSWERS
[Readers’ Additional Questions]
51. Were you ever truly happy?
Answer: Yes, in small moments of achievement.
52. What was your biggest injustice?
Answer: Lack of basic security from birth.
53. Did you ever love someone?
Answer: Yes.
54. Did anyone love you?
Answer: I believe some did.
55. Do you still expect miracles?
Answer: I believe in hope, not miracles.
56. How do you want your final chapter to be?
Answer: Peaceful, dignified, and meaningful.
57. Your biggest fear?
Answer: Being forgotten.
58. Do you fear death or oblivion?
Answer: Oblivion.
59. Who will carry your legacy?
Answer: My writings.
60. Has society been fair to you?
Answer: Not fully.
61. Your greatest achievement?
Answer: Survival.
62. What would you change if life restarted?
Answer: I would be more confident.
63. Lesson for society?
Answer: Opportunity reveals hidden talent.
64. Biggest unfinished work?
Answer: Writing my full LoO-novel.
65. How do you want to be remembered?
Answer: Honest and resilient.
66. Have you ever felt completely alone?
Answer: Yes.
67. Happiest memory?
Answer: My writing reaching readers.
68. Saddest memory?
Answer: Loss of shelter and stability.
69. Did you ever want to give up?
Answer: Yes, but I continued.
70. Greatest strength?
Answer: Perseverance.
71. Greatest weakness?
Answer: Emotional sensitivity.
72. Do you consider yourself successful?
Answer: As a human being, yes.
73. Biggest regret?
Answer: Missed opportunities.
74. Biggest dream?
Answer: Proper recognition of my life’s work.
75. What would you say to your younger self?
Answer: “Do not be afraid.”
76. One-word life definition?
Answer: “Perseverance.”
77. True hero of your story?
Answer: Survival instinct.
78. Do you see yourself as a winner?
Answer: Yes.
79. Why do you still write?
Answer: Writing is my way of living.
80. Core message of your life?
Answer: Never lose humanity or hope.
81. How do you still survive with hope?
Answer: Because there are still good people, good words, and unfinished stories-left.
THE Closing Question
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How would you describe your life in one sentence?
Answer: A person who began with nothing at birth, but refused to surrender throughout life.