Al Amin once spent his nights walking the streets of Rangpur, a metal ring hanging from his neck, selling popcorn to keep his family afloat. By day, he sat in a modest classroom near the railway station, trying to hold on to an education that often seemed out of reach.

Today, the schoolboy who balanced books with the burden of survival has stepped into a new life.

At Monno International School and College in Manikganj, Al Amin has begun a journey that until recently felt impossible.

On his first visit to the campus yesterday, accompanied by his grandparents and teachers, he walked through open grounds, classrooms, and residential facilities that may reshape his future.

A quiet smile spread across his face as he took it all in – less a moment of celebration, more a pause of disbelief.

“Education is my dream,” he said, holding back emotion.

“I have received that opportunity. I will turn my dream into reality. Struggle is nothing new in my life. I know how to fight and survive.”

The institution has taken full responsibility for his education, accommodation, and long-term growth.

Its principal,  Lt Col Md Zahirul Islam (Retd), said Al Amin would be able to study as a residential student up to Higher Secondary Certificate level, with support likely to continue into university.

“We want him to move forward with maximum facilities in a favourable environment,” he said, handing the boy his new books and guiding him across the campus.

“I have seen the desire for success in his eyes,” he said. “This fighting spirit will take him far. One day, I believe, he will stand beside many helpless children.”

That hope echoes Al Amin’s own. He speaks not only of his future, but of others like him – children who grow up too fast under the weight of poverty.

“One day, after becoming established, I want to take responsibility for many other Al Amins like me,” he said.

Yet the transition has not been without its quiet pain.

Yesterday afternoon, as he was left at the residential hall for the first time, the boy who had faced hardship without complaint broke down.

Looking at his grandmother, he asked a question that revealed the child behind the resilience: would he be able to sleep without her?

His grandmother, Rabeya Khatun, struggled to hold back tears.

“My child, I am always with you,” she told him. “Such opportunities do not come in everyone’s life. Allah has given you this chance because you are a good boy. Be strong.”

At Zoom Bangladesh School, a small school for street children beside the railway station where Al Amin studied earlier, teachers say the classroom is quieter without him.

“He studied and worked at the same time to support his grandparents,” said head teacher Asif Mahmud.

“This opportunity is a matter of pride for us. We believe he will fulfil not only his own dream, but ours as well.”

For years, the boy’s earnings paid for food and medicine for his elderly grandparents. Responsibility came early, and it came heavy.

On April 10, The Daily Star published a report on Al Amin, titled “Schoolboy by day, family's sole breadwinner by night”.

The piece drew attention far beyond Rangpur, reaching those who could offer what he needed most: a chance. That chance has now brought him to Manikganj.

Still, the journey is only beginning.