Begum Rokeya: forerunner of women’s emancipation
-
-
|
Photo: Barta24.com
This Thursday is Begum Rokeya Day. December 9 is the birth and death day of Begum Rokeya, a pioneer of women's awakening. Today, the nation will respectfully remember this majestic woman who was constantly fighting for the emancipation of women from the shackles of religious orthodoxy and superstition. On this occasion, various programs have been organized at government and private levels.
Although Begum Rokeya is commemorated on this day every year, the activities of the memorial center built in her birthplace have not started yet. At the same time, the demand of Begum Rokeya's family is to recover the 300 bighas of land grabbed by others and also to bring back the remains of Rokeya, bury her in the house has not been fulfilled till today.
Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain's dream was to live with equal status and rights in the society. She had written about that dream in her stories, novels and essays. She had worked to spread women's education till her death. Rokeya started the struggle for the establishment of women's educational institutions, their empowerment, and the right to vote in Bengal.
Rokeya was born on 9 December 1880 in a zamindar family of Payrabandha in Rangpur. She also wrote and was known as Rokeya Khatun, Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain and Mrs. RS Hossain. In the nineteenth century, when women were under siege, she raised her voice against women's subjugation.
Father Zahir Uddin Muhammad Abul Ali Haider Saber, mother Rahatunnesa Chowdhurani. Begum Rokeya had two brothers and two sisters.
Elder brother Ibrahim Saber was a progressive man. Invisibly, he used to teach letter to Begum Rokeya and another sister Karimununnesa by candlelight. And Rokeya had an indomitable interest in knowing and learning.
In 1896, at the age of 16, Begum Rokeya married Khan Bahadur Sakhawat Hossain, the Deputy Magistrate of Bhagalpur. Rokeya got the company of another progressive man. Husband Sakhawat Hossain, seeing Rokeya's unquenchable interest in education, began to help her in learning Bengali and English and to help her in writing.
This teaching is about the liberation from the dark society of that time, superstitious life and uneducated women society. She had in her head the thought of how to pull women out from the darkness of illiteracy. And that's why she dreamed of a school where the backward women of the society will learn to read. And her husband Sakhawat Hossain made this dream bigger.
She entered the world of literature in 1902 by writing a Bengali story called 'Pipasa'. In 1905, Rokeya wrote her famous book, Sultanas’ Dreams in English. Sakhawat Hossain was overwhelmed by the text and encouraged her to publish it in book form.
In 1908, Sultanas’ Dreams was published in book form. The book was later published in Bengali as 'Sultanar Swapna'. This book is considered a milestone in the feminist literature of the world. Her other books are 'Abrodhabasini', 'Matichur', 'Padmarag'.
Rafiqul Islam Dulal, general secretary of Begum Rokeya Smriti Sangsad, said Begum Rokeya's lands have not yet been evicted. In some lands there are institutions in her name. A case is pending in the court for the recovery of these lands.
Ranjina Saber, a retired assistant teacher at Payraband Begum Rokeya Memorial Girls' High School, daughter of Begum Rokeya's brother Masihuzzaman Saber, said Begum Rokeya was remembered for only one day. The activities of Smriti Kendra should be started to present the real history and working biography of Begum Rokeya to the new generation.
She died on this day in 1932. The day is being celebrated as Rokeya Day.
Various programs in Rangpur to celebrate the day:
Various programs have been chalked out by several organizations including administration in Rangpur on Begum Rokeya Day. A day-long program has been organized at Payrabandha, Mithapukur, her birthplace, following the hygiene rules. Wreath-laying and inauguration of the day at Begum Rokeya Memorial today at 11 am, discussion meeting at 11:30 am, distribution of prizes and medals at seminar on prevention of violence against women and child marriage at 12:30 pm, milad and Doa mahfil at 1 pm at Payraband Jame Mosque, cultural program at 3 pm. However, this time Rokeya fair is not being held. Apart from this, various organizations of Rangpur including Begum Rokeya University, Begum Rokeya Government College, Begum Rokeya Girls High School and Rangpur Rokeya Forum have organized various programs.
