09/07/2021
Eleanor Rema is the first Garo lawyer in Australia from the Bangladesh's indigenous Garo community.
Eleanor moved with her family from Bangladesh to Australia in 1993 at the age of five. Although Australia is her home, Bangladesh has always been her motherland. She believes that everyone should have equal rights and opportunities to get justice.
Eleanor said her family members also live in the United States, Canada and Australia, in addition to India and Bangladesh.
"My mother's family received their first college degree from the Nana Garo community in the Birishiri area of āāMymensingh in northern Bangladesh. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree and taught at a local school."
Eleanor said of her father, "My father is from Dhobaura upazila in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, and my grandfather was an influential person in our community."
"My father was the first of his family members to receive higher education at the tertiary or university level. He completed an honors degree in agricultural science in Bangladesh and studied in England and Australia on a government scholarship."
Eleanor came to Australia with her parents when she was five years old. About her own childhood, she said, "Like other immigrants, my parents worked hard to raise their children. They wanted to provide us with a decent institutional education in addition to ensuring our shelter."
"My childhood was very idealistic, I grew up with a lot of joy among many friends and family members. But formal education was important and being disciplined while growing up was very useful for my studies."
