A group of students put their Aggie spirit on display Friday as the nine students paid off the city violation ticket of a Shell station clerk, Asit Biswas.
Biswas was charged one month ago for providing alcohol to a minor. He said he strives to work hard every day and follow the rules and laws of the United States. The night Biswas was ticketed, a customer had been using a fake ID and a police officer happened to be standing outside.
“I like it here very much and I like the system,” Biswas said. “But one day, I accidentally made a mistake. A guy came in here and used one ID, and when a police officer stopped him he showed another ID. So the officer gave me a ticket for selling to a minor.”
Kevin Langford, agricultural economics senior, said he has known Biswas for three and a half years and the whole incident was a misunderstanding.
“We raised this money because Asit has one of the most amazing stories we have ever heard,” Langford said. “We knew the money we raised was going to a man who more than deserved it.”
Four years ago, Biswas won the U.S. Department of State’s Diversity Program Lottery, a drawing of immigrant visas available to individuals from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. Biswas said he emigrated from Bangladesh in 2009 and has been working at a College Station Shell to support his family ever since.
“I got married four years ago, but my wife could not move to the U.S. because [her visa] took a long time to process and there wasn’t enough money,” Biswas said. “Six months ago my wife finally arrived here. I have been working four years for her to come here.”
Industrial distribution senior Michael Paine said he and his friends wanted to do something to try to help him out financially when they heard about the incident.
“We ended up making a Facebook group to spread the word,” Paine said. “After a lot of people heard what happened, one of our friends set up a GoFundMe account to make it easy for people to donate money.”
In just 12 hours of the account’s link being open, all of the $2,000 needed to cover the fine had been raised, Paine said.
“Everyone who donated money knew Asit from times they interacted with him at Shell,” Paine said. “There were even multiple donations made by those that graduated a year or two ago that remember Asit.”
Biswas said the day he received the check from the students was one of the happiest days of his life.
“I didn’t know how the court works and I am so thankful for everybody who helped me,” Biswas said. “They are such good guys and all have big hearts. I am so happy right now.”
Although the students do not condone selling alcohol to minors, they sided with the man who had grown to become their friend.
“He’s got a contagious smile and he’s a very caring man,” said finance senior Michael Mullins. “He’s always interested in what’s happening in our lives, and we care about his as well.”
Biswas said he loves College Station and feels he has the friendliest customers.
“People in the U.S. and students here are very friendly,” Biswas said. “I feel very good working and living here.”