United News of Bangladesh

In the quiet village of Buropara at Alamdanga upazila in Chuadanga, where the hum of engines mingles with the rustle of paddy fields, lives a man whose vision lies not in his eyes, but in his heart and hands. Zahurul Islam Mangal, a sexagenarian mechanic, cannot see the world around him, yet he perceives machines with uncanny precision. Blind since birth, Zahurul has mastered the intricate language of nuts, bolts and gears, guided solely by touch, instinct and faith. He knows by heart which wrench to pick, which bolt to tighten, and where the pulse of a machine falters. His fingers glide across metal surfaces, tracing faults invisible to others and with effortless grace, he brings life back to lifeless engines. For more than a decade, Zahurul has repaired everything from bicycles, vans and shallow engines to power trolleys and tube-wells — entirely on his own. His fascination began early, at the age of seven, when he watched and listened to a local mechanic, absorbing the rhythm of the craft. In 1984, he opened his first repair shop near Chuadanga Sadar Hospital. Later, he returned to his native village to expand his skills, taking on the challenge of shallow engines, power trolleys and a range of complex machines. Since 2004, his modest workshop in Buropara has been a lifeline for farmers and villagers alike. After six years of struggling to find a job, Zahid finds success in strawberry farming “Being able to work without sight is Allah’s blessing,” Zahurul said, his weathered hands moving skillfully over an engine. “I may not have eyes to see outside, but I see with the eyes of my heart. My hands tell me where a screw should go and which wrench to use.” During a recent visit, this UNB Correspondent watched Zahurul at work, diagnosing a farmer’s faulty shallow engine merely by turning its handle. Within minutes, the machine was running smoothly once again. Without resting, he hurried off to another home to repair a tube-well, his movements brisk and assured. “Even after 40 years of working with machines, I cannot fix a single nut,” said local farmer Taijal Sheikh with admiration. “But Zahurul bhai fixes machines without seeing. It’s a gift from Allah.” Another villager, Nazim Uddin, echoed the sentiment, saying, “Though blind, he can dismantle an entire engine and reassemble it perfectly. His work is flawless.” The young entrepreneur who brought orange farming to Naogaon