Dhaka: Three sisters, Upoma Kabir, Shoily Kabir, and Mithra Kabir, have followed in the footsteps of their parents by becoming educators at Dhaka University. Their father, Ahmed Kabir, was a teacher at the university, and their mother, Nilufar Begum, taught at Dhaka City College. The sisters are all currently teaching in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Dhaka University.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Upoma Kabir shared that their upbringing, surrounded by eminent educationalists, inspired them to pursue a career in teaching. “Since our childhood, we were brought up in contact with eminent educationalists, and we had a wish to become like them,” she said. Their father served in the Bengali department, while their mother taught literature, instilling a deep respect for education in their children.
Mithra Kabir explained her choice of science over her parents’ fields, saying, “Though my parents were teachers of language and literature, I think that our future may prosper if we pursue studies on science. Math and physics were my favourite subjects.” Mithra also pursued her passion for music at Chayanat, an institution dedicated to Bengali music and culture, where she received an award in a star search competition in 2004.
Upoma Kabir’s path differed slightly as she was admitted to the Department of Theoretical Physics at Dhaka University in 1992. She noted that technical education was not as highly valued at the time, with fields like economics, literature, and math being more popular. Her uncle, a professor of physics and a Kali Narayan Scholar, influenced her mother’s belief that a science student is always a good student.
Shoily Kabir highlighted their mother’s advocacy for modern education. “My mother always was advocating that modern people would study modern subjects. She was far-sighted,” she said. Despite receiving offers from medical school and BUET, the sisters chose to study at Dhaka University, feeling it was their true calling.
Shoily recalled her decision to switch from medical studies to computer science, stating, “I got the result of Dhaka University after taking admission in medical. Later, I took admission in the Computer Science department as I thought that it was my own place.”
Expressing gratitude, the sisters acknowledged the unwavering support of their parents. Upoma emphasized, “Every parent loves their children. But few of them can become friends of their children. And our parents are our friends.”