Back Row from left to right side:

Fatima, Shalina, Dipok Kuma, Mosharef Hossain, Surma Begom, Zannatul Ferdaus, Rina Rowshon, Zahid Hossain

Front Row from left to right side: 

Shamol, Shamim, Asma Ahammed, Ranazid, Laily Begom, Masuma, Ali

About Ali

Howlader Muhammad Akkel Ali is known to all as “Ali”. All his adult life Ali has worked with orphaned and disabled children. Orphaned himself, he has a natural empathy for such children. From his time at Barisal Government Orphanage he knows what it is like to be in institutional care. He has seen with his own eyes what a struggle it is in Bangladesh when a child has lost his or her father, mother or both and when a child has disabilities. From 1970 to 2004 Ali worked with the Swedish Mission (now called Interlife Bangladesh) throughout the country looking after children with disabilities. During this period he developed his vision of a better way of helping these children but was frustrated at not being able to put his ideas into practice. In 2004 the opportunity finally came. With the financial assistance of Bruna Colombo-Otten and Lars-Erik Wallhagen he opened the home and school at Bhola Garden.