A 100-year-old man of Bangladeshi origin, who raised thousands for COVID-19 relief while fasting during Ramadan, has been made an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Dabirul Islam Choudhury raised more than £420,000 by walking 970 laps of his garden in Bow, east London, during the Islamic holy month between April 23 and May 23 this year.
From the money raised for a charity called the Ramadan Family Commitment, £116,000 was donated to the UK's National Health Service (NHS) while the rest was distributed among 26 other charities, reports bdnews24.com.
These funds were used for various charitable programmes such as the distribution of food for the poor and needy, affected by the epidemic in different countries, including Bangladesh.
Dabirul was inspired by the feats of a fellow centenarian, Captain Sir Tom Moore, who raised £33 million for the NHS by walking laps of his backyard.
Dabirul had initially stepped foot in the front yard of his London flat with a goal of raising just £1,000 but the response to the initiative soon became overwhelming.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the Leader of the Opposition Labour's Keir Starmer have also heaped praised on Dabirul's fundraising initiative.
Dabirul expressed happiness and pride at being made an OBE. He also thanked those who supported his initiative.
“I feel proud they have honoured me for the efforts I have done,” Dabirul is quoted as saying by The Independent.
"Initially, my father's target was to raise a thousand pounds. This target was met in just a few hours. The more funds he received, the more it encouraged him to keep going. Even while fasting, he continued to walk for a few more days,” Dabirul's son Atique Choudhury told bdnews24.com.
"I am proud of my father," he added.
Born on January 1, 1920 in Kulanj village in Sunamganj, Dabirul moved to Britain in 1957 to study English literature. After his completing studies, he became involved in community work while maintaining a job. His wife Khaleda Dabir Chowdhury is a leader of the UK chapter of the Awami League.
The pensioner is commonly known as 'poet Dabirul' among the Bangladeshi diaspora. An avid poetry-lover, Dabirul recites his own poems at events and programmes organised by the community. He has written thousands of poems and has also published a book of his poetry.