EVOLUTION
Professor Dr. Mokhlesur Rahman, the chief advisor of Shandhani Shangstha, was born in the village of Karamdi in 1955. He completed his Primary and Matriculation Examinations from his village schools and his HSC from Meherpur Government College. He then pursued his higher education at the University of Rajshahi, where he obtained his master’s Degree in 1980, securing the first position in the Department of Social Science. In 1984, he was awarded the Monboshu Scholarship and went to Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan to obtain his Ph.D. He completed his Ph.D. in 1990 and began his teaching career at Hakata Senior High School from April 1990 to March 2002. From 2006 to 2021, he served as a Professor at the Japan University of Economics and retired as the Head of the Department. In pursuit of his dream to contribute to the development of education and healthcare in his native country, he founded Shandhani Shangstha on the 18th of June 1989, under the leadership of Mr. AFM Idris, along with local youths and eminent persons.
In 1987, Prof. Dr. Mokhlesur Rahman established a primary school in Karamdi Purbopara while pursuing his Ph.D., marking the beginning of Shandhani Shangstha’s journey. The organization began providing scholarships to deserving but underprivileged students in 1990. In 1992, it launched a training program for unemployed youth to make them self-reliant, as well as sewing training for women’s empowerment. The organization was officially registered in 1992 by the Department of Social Services.
With the support of Bangladesh To Te Wo Tsunagu Kai, Fukuoka, Japan, the organization initiated hospital and community-based mother and child activities in 1995 to ensure healthcare for the local population. In 1999, Onnesha Bidyaniketon was established in Gangni, Meherpur to promote education and improve its quality, later renamed Shandhani School and College in 2009. The Nutrition and Rehabilitation Program was introduced in 2002 with assistance from Mrs. Matsue Uji Fukuoka, Japan, to address financial difficulties and provide nutrition to deserving students. Additionally, a Beef Fattening Project was launched in 2005 as a self-sustaining income-generating initiative.
The Local Governance project, launched on November 1, 2006, received financial support from H.R.G Danida and aimed to strengthen governance within the community. In the same year, the organization also conducted the Voters & Civic Education and Observation of the Ninth Parliament Election Project. In April 2009, the Training and Sanitation programs were introduced in collaboration with the Bangladesh N.G.O Foundation to focus on reproductive health, mother and child care, and food and nutrition.
Furthermore, the organization initiated a training program for staff skill development in collaboration with Bangladesh To Te Wo Tsunagu Kai, Fukuoka, Japan, with assistance from the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA). In 2010, an information center was established to provide comprehensive information to remote village communities lacking access to media and technology. The Poverty Alleviation Project began in April 2011, aiming to promote the socio-economic development of underprivileged communities, with support from the Japan International Cooperation Foundation (JICF).
The infrastructural work for the modern building of Karamdi Purbopara Govt. Primary School (Japanese School) took place from 2012 to 2014 and was funded by the Japan International Cooperation Foundation. This was done to enhance the quality of education at the school. The construction of the five-storied Shandhani Nursing Institute began at Upazilla Headquarters in 2012, funded by Bangladesh To Te Wo Tsunagu Kai, Fukuoka, Japan. The institute started offering a three-year Diploma in Nursing Science and Midwifery Course in the academic year 2016-2017. To improve the quality of education in the area, 37 children received monthly scholarships from September 2021 to September 2022 under the “Bangabandhu-BNF Scholarship Program” in collaboration with the Bangladesh NGO Foundation. Additionally, 40 students have been receiving monthly scholarships through the ‘Scholarship Program for Poor and Talented Students’ from May 1, 2023, to April 30, 2024, with the cooperation of the Bangladesh NGO Foundation. To expand the quality of education district-wise, the second branch of Shandhani School and College has been approved, and consequently, 4 lots of land have been purchased in the district headquarters.