Struck hard by life but standing tall again with artificial limbs

Eight-year-old Tanisha from Habiganj sits with her new leg braces at Jalalabad Rehab Centre and Hospital. Once unable to walk due to a congenital deformity, she is among 60 beneficiaries of the Chevron-supported “Restoring Mobility” programme. Photo: Chevron

Farid Hossain from Jagannathpur in Sunamganj was crossing the road when a truck ran him over, crushing his leg beyond repair. Doctors were forced to amputate the limb up to his thigh. The 2018 accident turned his life upside down.

A house painter by profession, Farid suddenly found himself unemployed. With no money to afford an artificial limb, crutches became his only support.

Sheikh Ruhel Ahmed's story is even more harrowing. A bus driver from Golapganj in Sylhet, Ruhel lost both his legs in a road accident at Hetimganj in 2008. He also lost his job and livelihood and has remained confined to a wheelchair ever since. As the family's sole breadwinner, Ruhel was pushed into severe financial distress.

When someone loses a leg, the dream of standing on one's own feet again can feel impossibly distant. However, those painful chapters belong to the past for Farid Hossain and Sheikh Ruhel Ahmed. 

Leaving behind crutches and wheelchairs, both men can now stand on their own legs once again. They have recently received artificial limbs — without spending a single taka on the otherwise costly treatment.

This new lease on life has been made possible by multinational energy company Chevron Bangladesh.

With support from Swisscontact and the Jalalabad Rehab Centre and Hospital, Chevron Bangladesh implemented the artificial limb initiative.

Under the project titled "Restoring Mobility: Artificial Limb Support," artificial limbs were provided to 60 people across the Sylhet division, most of whom had lost limbs in accidents.

Not all stories had happy endings. Two of the beneficiaries have since passed away. The rest, however, have been given renewed hope and dignity.

Among them is eight-year-old Tanisha from Nabiganj in Habiganj. Born with a deformed leg, Tanisha was abandoned by her father because of her disability. Her grandmother struggled to raise the child, who grew up almost immobile.

After receiving proper treatment under the Chevron-supported project, Tanisha can now walk normally. Smiling brightly, she said, "I can walk properly now. I am very happy."

Another beneficiary, Rubel Ahmed, 35, from Jalalpur in Sylhet, lost a leg in an accident in 2019. The family's sole earner, he was left unemployed and rejected by employers.

Rubel recalled, "No one would give me work. I knew tailoring, but without a leg I couldn't do it."

With the help of Chevron, Rubel received an artificial limb. Now, he has returned to work. "After getting the leg, I can sew again. Now, alongside tailoring, I also do delivery work," he said.

Chevron's Corporate Affairs Director Muhammad Imrul Kabir said the company is committed to social responsibility alongside gas production, focusing on education, health, economic empowerment, and environmental development.

"These initiatives will continue," Kabir said, claiming that 1,20,000 people have benefited from Chevron's corporate social responsibility programmes so far.

The project's closing ceremony was held on 14 December 2025 at a hotel in Sylhet. The chief guest was Abdul Mannan, additional secretary of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.

Special guests included Eric M Walker, managing director of Chevron Bangladesh; Muhammad Imrul Kabir, corporate affairs director; AKM Arif Akhtar, head of Social Investment; Helal Hossain, country director of Swisscontact; Shoeb Ahmed Matin, chairman of the Board of Trustees of Jalalabad Rehab Centre and Hospital; and Subrata Chakraborty, president of Jalalabad Rotary Club, among others.

Addressing the programme, Eric M Walker said nearly 80% of people with disabilities in Bangladesh are still beyond the reach of support programmes.
"If they can be brought under support, they will be able to contribute meaningfully to the economy. Chevron Bangladesh is working towards that goal. Today's programme reflects that effort," he said.