Rewriting life in braille

The first thing people notice about Farjana Akter is not her blindness—it is her steadiness. She speaks with quiet assurance, the kind that comes from rebuilding life piece by piece. Her journey to becoming one of Bangladesh's first visually impaired women bankers is not defined by a single turning point, but by a series of decisions to keep moving forward when stopping would have been easier.

Farjana was born in Madborer Char, a remote village in Shibchar, Madaripur. She was the third of five children in a family where every day was shaped by financial uncertainty. Her father, Amzad Hossain, relied on a small strip of land to feed a household of seven. It was a fragile existence. When the land could no longer sustain them, he made the difficult choice to sell a portion of it and move to Dhaka. The family settled in a modest rented home in Azimpur Government Colony, hoping the city would offer what the village could not.

Like many children growing up in such circumstances, Farjana understood early that education was her only real chance at changing her future. She studied with determination and successfully passed her SSC examinations. At that point, life seemed to be moving in a hopeful direction.

Then, in 2001, everything changed.

A medical complication—later worsened by incorrect treatment—left her completely blind. The transition from sight to darkness was sudden and overwhelming. Her family tried everything they could, even taking her to Madras for treatment and surgery. Nothing worked. The loss of vision was permanent.

For a while, Farjana found herself trapped in a sense of despair. The world she had known disappeared overnight, and with it, the plans she had carefully built. It was not just about losing sight—it was about losing direction.

What helped her find that direction again was a simple but powerful piece of advice from a physician: start afresh.

It was easier said than done, but Farjana chose to try. With the help of a visually impaired teacher, she began learning Braille. The process was demanding, requiring patience and discipline. Yet she approached it with urgency, aware that time lost would be difficult to recover. Within just three months, she had gained enough proficiency to begin preparing for her Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations.

In 2004, she sat for the exams and passed. It was a moment that redefined her sense of possibility.

From there, she set her sights even higher. She began preparing for university admission, navigating a system that is often not designed with students with disabilities in mind. Around this time, she noticed a newspaper advertisement for a scholarship programme offered by Dutch-Bangla Bank PLC. She applied and was selected under its scheme for visually impaired students pursuing higher education.

The scholarship became a lifeline. Studying through Braille is not just academically demanding; it is also expensive. Specialised books, materials, and assistance come at a cost that was simply beyond her family's reach. With this financial support, Farjana was able to continue her education without placing additional strain on her already struggling household.

Soon after, she achieved another milestone—gaining admission to the University of Dhaka. For many students, university life is a challenge. For Farjana, it required an entirely different level of resilience. She had to adapt to new systems, rely on alternative methods of learning, and often work harder than her peers just to access the same information.

But she persisted.

After completing her undergraduate and postgraduate studies, Farjana stepped into the professional world. In 2013, she joined Agrani Bank PLC as a senior officer. With that, she quietly made history—becoming one of the first visually impaired women to build a career in the country's banking sector.

Her achievement goes beyond personal success. In a field that depends heavily on visual data and conventional systems, her presence challenges long-standing assumptions about ability and inclusion. It also reflects how far determination can go when supported by the right opportunities.

Today, Farjana's story stands as more than an account of overcoming blindness. It is a reflection of resilience shaped by poverty, strengthened by education, and sustained by belief—both her own and that of those who supported her along the way.

In a society where limitations are often defined too quickly, Farjana Akter's life offers a different perspective: sometimes, losing sight can lead to a clearer vision of what truly matters.