December 3, 2024
DHAKA – Every evening, a group of 25 to 30 children, aged between 8 and 14, gather by a pond in Barguna’s LGED Bhaban.
Under the watchful eyes of their coach, they glide from one corner of the pond to another. Their laughter mingles with the sound of splashes.
For many, this is their first experience learning to swim — a skill that could one day save their lives.
In Barguna, a coastal district where the risk of drowning looms large, such opportunities are rare. Despite the area’s proximity to water, there are no swimming training centres or pools. Tragically, this gap has led to countless preventable deaths.
Over 14,000 children die from drowning in Bangladesh each year, according to Unicef.
On average, 40 children drown in Bangladesh’s ponds and rivers each day during the monsoon season.
Most of these deaths are reported from coastal regions like Barguna.
“My mantra is simple: learn swimming, save lives,” says Jail Superintendent Amzad Hossain Don. PHOTO: THE DAILY STAR
Hence, Jail Superintendent Amzad Hossain Don has decided to step in.
Imagine a jail superintendent. Perhaps you picture an angry old man. But Amzad defies every stereotype.
A former award-winning national swimmer and a gold medalist in cycling, he has taken it upon himself to teach these children the vital skill of swimming — free of charge.
“My mantra is simple: learn swimming, save lives,” he says, as he guides the children with a mix of discipline and encouragement.
He has been teaching swimming to children in Barguna for the past two years and has trained approximately 100 young learners during this time.
He dreams of a proper swimming pool in Barguna to train even more children.
Monisha, one of the trainees, said, “I was scared of water, but now I can swim across the pond!” Her mother, Rahima Begum, expresses her gratitude: “We can finally stop worrying every time our children go near water.”
Other children, like little Salman, Arko, Nizam, Paban, Moyukh, and their parents, echoed Monisha and her mother.
Amzad received a silver medal in the 1984 national swimming competition and gold at 2005 national cycling competition. He is a recipient of the prestigious Jatiya Shuddhachar Puroshkar in 2022. He has also coached inmates, earning accolades for Bangladesh Jail in national and international competitions.
Before Barguna, he conducted similar training sessions in Rangpur, Rajshahi, Narail, Kashimpur and Dhaka.