M. Mujibur Rahman & Roxana Khanom :
Dr. Ajmal Sobhan, a harbinger of humanity and love, is a specialist in general and vascular surgery. He lives in America and frequently comes to Bangladesh just to make his own country people smile. Dr. Ajmal Sobhan, MD is a general surgery specialist in Hampton, VA and has over 50 years of experience in the medical field. He practiced general and vascular surgery for 29 years in the US, primarily in the Tidewater Area of Virginia but also in South Carolina. A surgeon like Ajmal Sobhan MD treats injuries, diseases, and deformities through surgical operations. Like a dedicated surgeon he corrects physical deformities, repairs bone and tissue, or performs preventive or elective surgeries. He also examines patients, performs and interprets diagnostic tests, and provides counsel on preventive healthcare with whole-hearted dedication. Besides, he works on illumination of mind through the light of education and eradication of poverty among the hardcore poor in Bangladesh.
Ajmal Sobhan practiced trauma and vascular surgery in the United States. Since retirement, he has divided his time between the US and Bangladesh. Much of this time is dedicated to volunteer services, including directing a surgical mission serving the poor in rural Bangladesh. His first book, The Sacred Drops (co-authored), is a primer for self-transformation. His avocations include long distance running and trekking in the Himalayas. This enlightened personality is the author of another book “Journey to Silence: Memoirs of a Surgeon”. The cover and illustrations of this book is done by Archana Hande, a Mumbai-based artist and film maker. He is a long-time practitioner of Vipassana meditation. He believes, doing good to humanity is the best prayer and through meditation, one can gain rich spiritual pursuit and become free of the constant state of anxiety and fear which is counterproductive to physical and mental well-being.
Dr. Ajmal Sobhan receives education from some prominent institution from home and abroad. He graduated from Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka University medical school in 1971. Then he joins in Muhlenberg Hospital, Internship Hospital. His medical career also enriches working subsequently in Ariz Heart Institute, Fellowship Hospital in 1979 and Misericordia/Lincoln Affil, Residency Hospital in 1977. As a general surgeon in Virginia, Dr. Sobhan performs a range of surgeries and operations, usually focusing on areas and organs of the abdomen and their related organs. Dr. Sobhan may utilize invasive or minimally-invasive surgical techniques, with the latter reducing recovery time and stress on the patient’s body.
Dr. Ajmal Sobhan’s one of the main initiatives is meditation in order to keep the health and mind sound. He says, meditation is a process of focusing attention and awareness to attain self-control over discursive thought. The human mind is a non-ending thought producer. The thoughts are as random as they are plentiful. Most of us are not in control of our thoughts but rather we are controlled by them. The constant chatter of the mind with very little control leads to a state of suffering that we find ourselves in and are unable to extricate from.
Dr. Sobhan is well known for his social service. Sobhan informed, some Bangladeshi expatriates who settled in America formed an organisation to help impoverished people of their native country. Since they are all health care professionals, they wanted to serve the poor through medical care. Initially, this benevolent service for the poor was discussed in 1989, and it took a while to get organised. Now within the last 20 years of the organisation, it successfully performed sixth voluntary surgical missions in Bangladesh. Till 2009 to 2019, thousands of poor patients got treatment in Bangladesh by the US mission led by Dr. Ajmal.
In 2021, more than 180 students from pre-primary to graduation were benefited by Dr. Ajmal’s initiatives. He personally provides support to 36 class three to five students who are most vulnerable. All expenditure including school dress, education materials, medical support and nutrition were supplied in a very disciplined way to them. In their family no one is educated from whom they can get support for preparing the class/home work. They are provided with teaching support to prepare their home tasks and make the bags ready for next day’s class in formal school. They do not need to read at home or extra education support. Till now 300 students have been supported, 18,000 patients were got treatment.
(M. Mujibur Rahman is the founder Secretary of Nice Foundation and Roxana Khanom is an Associate Professor, Department of English, Govt. BL College).
