Tura, July 18: By sheer grit and hard work, Eleanor Rema Marak has become the first girl belonging to the indigenous tribal Garo community of Bangladesh to become a lawyer in Australia, a feat well recognised among this tribal community in the South Asian country bordering India and separated by an international border with Garo Hills.

Since she was bestowed with the lawyer’s degree in Australia, Eleanor has become the talk of the town, not just in Bangladesh’s tribal region but even in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya.

Her graduation pictures and success story has ignited the minds of many young girls and boys of the community who have taken up law as a career.

Eleanor was only five years old when her family moved to Australia in the year 1993.

She comes from a family that has for generations strongly believed in the importance of education. Despite multiple challenges in a country like Bangladesh, both her parents pursued higher education and made it a priority.

Her father was the first in his family to receive higher education at university level and went on to do his specialization in agricultural science.

Her mother’s family received their first college degree from the Garo community in the Birishiri area of Mymensing District of northern Bangladesh. On the individual front, her mother completed the Bachelor of Arts degree and taught at a local school.

As for Eleanor, she aspires to ensure justice and equality each time she stands up in court to fight a case.