Monghar gets new building for children after Star report

Monghar, a residential educational institution, is based on the hills of Rangapani in Rangamati where most of the underprivileged children come to study from all the inaccessible three districts under Chittagong Hill Tracts.

On August 18, 2017, The Daily Star published a report titled, "The Monghar", on the financial stress and housing crisis of the institution. Later, it came to the notice of AF Mujibur Rahman Trustee Foundation. The next year, the foundation contacted with Monghar and constructed a hostel named Rezaul Rahman Girls Hostel. The hostel was inaugurated around 3pm yesterday (October 9, 2022).

At the inaugural ceremony, the children of Monghar welcomed Khushi Kabir and Nurul Islam, trustee members of AF Mujibur Rahman Trustee Foundation, with flowers, reports our Rangamati correspondent.

Chakma Circle chief Raja Debashish Roy, human rights activist Nirupa Dewa, and Monghar's General Secretary Kriti Nishan Chakma were present on the occasion.

Addressing the children, Khushi Kabir said, "You all are stars, you have to spread the light in the society where the light of education has not yet reached ... You have come here through the remote mountain route. I want you to get proper education and learn to be [good] human beings. You're here with a lot of opportunities."

Appreciating the organisation's work for educating underprivileged children, trustee member Nurul Islam said that they provided support as much as they could.

Monghar General Secretary Kriti Nishan Chakma highlighted the activities of the institution at the event.

Monghar was first established by Buddhist monk Gyanshree in Boalkhali area under Dighinala upazila of Khagrachhari in 1961. Back then it was intended only as a Buddhist Ashram, but later with the efforts of four monks -- Bimal Tishya Mahathero, Shraddhalankar Mahathero, Priya Tisya, and Praggnananda Mahathero -- they shifted this ashram to Rangapani in Rangamati town in 1974.

Currently, over 800 students are studying in this residential hostel. All the students are from Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Lushai, Pangkhoya, and other ethnic groups living in the three hill districts.