Shariful Islam, Lohagara (Narail)

He was not able to sit for examination in class ten because he could not pay the registration fee.

Siddique Molya (76) of Raghunathpur Charpara village in Narail Sadar upazila joined the Naib office in Hobkhali Union as a peon with a salary of Tk 150, then worked in the district and outside the district and retired voluntarily in 1994 as a peon with a salary of 700 taka. While in the job, he became addicted to reading newspapers. He had heard about the railway for a long time, but since that too was ruined, now he only relies on newspapers to get news about the country and abroad.

He spent the small amount of pension money and sold ancestral land to get his daughter married, now the husband and wife are living on the small amount of pension money and old age allowance money. Even though his family life made him poor, he could not give up his addiction to reading newspapers. Once he used to listen to the news regularly on the radio, now he does not even use a mobile phone. However, reading newspapers is his only addiction.

On Saturday morning, this correspondent met Siddiq Molya on the street in front of his house with a stack of newspapers in his hand. He sat on the wooden bench under his hut with about 10/12 newspapers including Kalerkanth, Prothom Alo, Nayadiganta, Ittefaq, Samakal, Jugantor, Bangladesh Pratidin, Amar Desh, Banglabazar Patrika, Manabkanth, Jayayadin, and Aajker Patrika. He read the headlines of various newspapers. In the afternoon, Siddiq Molya would go to the market next to his house with newspapers. He was walking on the street and reading newspapers, when someone asked him on the way, "Kaka, what is the news today?" He picked up a few newspapers and read part of what he found. Then he sat in the market and read newspapers under the light of Razzak Mandal's tea shop. People from the area came to him and wanted to know various news from home and abroad. Siddiq Mia then read out the important news loudly.

Tea shop owner Razzak Mandal said that Siddiq Molya used to read out to people under the light of his newspaper shop until late at night. Many people would serve him tea and then he would go home. I have never seen such a newspaper maniac in this era. Siddiq Molya is known as a newspaper maniac to the people of the area. Siddiq Molya used to travel 4 kilometers away to Narail town every morning to collect newspapers. Here he would go to the sub-registrar's office, then go around the court premises and ask for money from acquaintances to buy newspapers and go home.

Narail newspaper businessman Mirza Nazrul Islam said that the number of newspaper readers is decreasing day by day. Siddiq Molya is an example before us. We have rarely seen such newspaper readers like him. Siddique Molya's wife (who does not want to be named) said, "The family is not going well, he sometimes sells this and that in order to buy newspapers. When I forbid him, he does not listen, so now I do not say anything, I also like it now."

Siddique Molya said, "I do not have a mobile phone, I can get all the news by reading newspapers. This is my addiction, I collect money from different people while doing this, I do not feel bad, the villagers encourage me to read newspapers. I want to read newspapers as long as I can see. Reading newspapers increases knowledge, you learn about the country. Reading newspapers gives peace to your mind, this 76-year-old man who reads so many newspapers with sharp eyes is an example of the country."