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The ABG Foundation is bringing joy and a sense of care to hundreds of orphaned and underprivileged children living at Jamia Mohammadia Hafizia Madrasa and Orphanage in the capital.
For nearly 250 children living at the madrasa and orphanage, life away from their families is often marked by loneliness. With only a few personal belongings, a bed and a small trunk, many of them spend even holidays like ordinary days without the warmth and happiness of family life.
Against this backdrop, the ABG Foundation, under the initiative of its Chairman Sayem Sobhan Anvir, has been regularly arranging meals for orphaned and disadvantaged children. Every Friday after Juma prayers, quality meals are provided to the children, offering them not only nutritious food but also a sense of being cared for like family members.
Sayem Sobhan Anvir has also chosen to stand beside underprivileged children on his own special occasions. Instead of elaborate celebrations on personal occasions such as birthdays, he has placed greater importance on bringing smiles to the faces of orphaned and disadvantaged children.
As part of the ongoing initiative, special food packets and refreshments were distributed among children at several madrasa and orphanage facilities in Dhaka after Juma prayers on Friday (August 7). Those involved in the programme said the initiative goes beyond meeting the children's immediate nutritional needs and conveys a broader message of social responsibility and compassion towards vulnerable children.
Several madrasa students said Fridays have become special for them as they look forward to receiving the meals. They said the children become visibly happy and relieved when the food is handed to them.
One student said many orphaned children had the opportunity to enjoy a good meal after a long time. Praising Sayem Sobhan Anvir's initiative, the student expressed hope that he would continue to stand beside madrasa students and orphaned children.
Madrasa founder and Principal Maulana Abdul Latif Faruqi thanked Sayem Sobhan Anvir and said such initiatives not only meet children's nutritional needs but also contribute positively to their mental development. They also help instil in the children a belief that compassionate people still care about them.
He expressed hope that the smiles brought to the faces of the orphaned children through the initiative would spread further and that such humanitarian activities would continue in the future.
Madrasa Assistant Teacher Maulana Rafiqul Islam said Sayem Sobhan Anvir had been quietly engaged in humanitarian activities for a long time without seeking publicity or formal recognition. He praised the initiative to provide meals to students and orphaned children and expressed hope that the ABG Foundation would expand its welfare activities in the future.
According to those involved, the initiative of ABG Chairman Sayem Sobhan Anvir provides meals every Friday to at least 1,500 underprivileged people and 500 orphaned children. The foundation also carries out various social welfare programmes, including distributing sehri and iftar during Ramadan, meat during Eid-ul-Azha, winter clothing and educational assistance.
Alongside his business activities, Sayem Sobhan Anvir has placed emphasis on standing beside people as part of his social responsibility. He has continued to extend support to underprivileged and orphaned children on various personal occasions as well.
Gazi Badal, senior executive of the ABG Foundation, said the foundation is a social and welfare organisation. He said quality meals were distributed among orphaned and disadvantaged students at four madrasas in the capital on Friday as part of the foundation's weekly programme. He added that the foundation regularly provides meals to disadvantaged people and orphaned students and that the initiative would continue in the future.
Beyond his identity as a businessman, Sayem Sobhan Anvir is also known for quietly extending support to people in need. Much of his humanitarian work remains away from the public spotlight, while those who have closely observed his activities say the scale of his support for disadvantaged people is extensive.
The ABG Foundation's efforts to extend support through both individual initiatives and institutional programmes have added a new dimension to its social welfare activities. For the children benefiting from these initiatives, perhaps the greatest reward is the simple smile that appears on their faces.
