October 29, 2025, the time was 6:30 pm. Cox’s Bazar Sadar Upazila Executive Officer Nilufa Yasmin Chowdhury was busy in the office as usual. Suddenly, an office assistant entered her room, accompanied by a little girl in a green shirt, barefoot. The assistant said, “A man gave the girl to the office – he said he got her from the bus terminal, or she got lost. “Fear in her eyes, helpless trembling in her voice – looking at the girl, UNO Nilufa understood that a mother’s heart had become empty today. Pulling the girl into her lap, she asked slowly, “What is your name?” The child said in a tearful voice, “My name is Maryam, I am eight years old. I don’t see well with my eyes. I live in a madrasa, I study there. My mother couldn’t come today when she was suddenly given leave. A man said he would take me home, but he brought me to the bus terminal. I don’t remember anything after that, I just know – I lost my way. “Mariam said that her father had died long ago. Her mother was blind, and her elder brother was also blind. Her only sister, who can see, is in the eighth grade and cooks for the family. The government gave them a house, and they also received blankets last winter. The mother receives a blind allowance—more pieces of information that reveal the child’s difficult life. Hearing the child’s story, UNO Nilufa immediately contacted Eidgaon Upazila Executive Officer Bimal Chakma. At the same time, she also instructed the Sadar Upazila Social Service Officer to find Mariam’s family in the database of blind and disabled allowance recipients. After much searching, it was finally known that Mariam’s home was in the Pokkhali area of ​​Eidgaon Upazila. After receiving the news, the mother, who was almost crazy after losing her daughter, set off for Cox’s Bazar at night with the village police and a neighbor.
Looking at the tired face of the little girl inside the office, UNO Nilufa felt a strange feeling in her heart.
Mariam told her, “I was born blind, I could see well as a child, but due to lack of money, I was never seen by a doctor. ”Those words seemed to leave a mark on UNO’s heart. It seemed that maybe God had sent her to bring some light back into Mariam’s life. She immediately contacted Upazila Agriculture Officer Russell, social worker Sujan, and Dr. Bimal Chowdhury of the Community Eye Hospital.
The compassionate Dr. Bimal immediately examined the child’s eyes free of charge and gave her glasses and necessary medicines. A smile spread across little Mariam’s face as she put on the glasses.
She said, “Now I see a little better than before. ”That smile seemed to instantly light up the entire room.
After the treatment, UNO Nilufa took her to the market. New green and brown shoes were bought for the barefoot girl. On the way, Nilufa asked, “What is your favorite color?” The girl said with a twinkle in her eye, “Yellow. ”But after a while, she smiled sweetly and told him about her dream—“I want to be a red fairy. I need a red dress, red bangles, red lipstick, and a red veil. ”To fulfill her childish wish, UNO Nilufa and her colleagues took her to the Megamart shopping mall. Surprised by the huge store and rows of clothes, Mariam said, “How do they stand there for so long?” Her face filled with amazement as she touched the doll-like mannequins. Finally, she chose a red frock, red bangles, red veil, and red lipstick—she truly became a red fairy. Shortly after, her mother, sister, village police, and a neighbor reached the UNO office. Seeing the girl, the blind mother extended her hand, and Mariam ran and jumped into her mother’s lap. The mother’s eyes were filled with tears of joy, and her face was filled with a smile of immense satisfaction. Mariam said, “Apa, now I see better than before, but not completely.” Then she proudly showed her mother her red dress and green shoes—she said that she would save the yellow dress and brown shoes for the next Eid. Everyone present at that mother-daughter reunion had tears in their eyes. During the farewell, Mariam held UNO Nilufa’s hand the entire time. As she got into the UNO official car, Mariam smiled and said, “Apa, the color of this car is red like my dress! Will you take a picture?” At that moment, the night sky seemed to brighten a little more. At ten o’clock at night, the red fairy Mariam set off for home—back in the arms of her blind mother, with a new light in her eyes.
Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner Md. A. Mannan later inquired about Mariam and her family and assured them of cooperation. The return of a lost child to his home, the return of light to his eyes, and the revival of humanity through the compassion of an administrator—this story of “Red Fairy” Maryam reminds us that there are still people, love, and light in the world.