I don’t read news paper regularly, I get news by watching TV. In fact I don’t read, as I feel so frustrated by seeing all bad news, corruption, misuse of power by the politicians, Price hikes, disaster and so on but today is 16th December 40 years after our victory day; there should be more good news than bad news. Took the newspaper and saw the news.
Jui a girl of 16years right hand was chopped by her husband so that she can not write and dare to study. We talk about gender equality, freedom of speech, freedom to do what we want to do, technology advancement, space, rockets, science. Democracy? Are girls and women in this least developed country so helpless? Where is our democracy? Where is rule of law? Where is justice? Above all, where is humanity?
Today, silently, I cried the whole day, I just could not forget this brutality. It is very painful for us where the Prime minister, the foreign minister, the home minister, and the opposition leader all are women. In Bangladesh it is women who is ruling the country and here still girls and women like Jui are still treated in this manner.
I immediately look back and rewind my own life , I was also a student when I was married and like Jui I also wanted to complete my HSC so stayed at my parents house till my exam and than lived with my husband and his family. When I went to study at university I was 7 month pregnant and my husband used to take me for the classes everyday - and waited in front of my classes till the end so that in this new environment and with new classmates he can support me if necessary.
I am writing this as I need to share my thoughts with all of you as we need to work very strongly for women’s empowerment, we need to discourage early marriage, we need to educate our girls, we need to see that husbands can not have super powers to beat us, throw us, chop us, burn us and kill us.
We all have to work together as there is still a long way to go. Today I am more committed to bring a difference into the lives of the women of Bangladesh. You all have supported my initiatives and BWCCI’s activities and we have so many success stories. We need to have more and more success stories. We all need to work to see that stories like Jui does not occur .
What is Jui thinking of us? BWCCI Rally Daily Star Photo Vital Time
Selima Ahmad
President
Bangladesh Women Chamber Of Commerce And Industry
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