Nirupoma, a successful business woman, Who passed long days in unlawful and dark life? - 1

Interview taken by: M.G. Rabbany & Mohtarmun Bipa

“Akhon ami khub sukhi. amar shami ase, meye ase. Ai prithibite beche thakar jonno ja ja dorker sob ase. Akhon ami jothesta taka aei korite pari sot pothe”
It means “Now I am very happy. Now I have a husband and a nice daughter. I have everything to live in this world peacefully as I can earn sufficient money in right way.” She told these at a stretch. Yes, she can earn sufficient money in the right way.
Nirupoma is able to set up a profitable business centre beside a busy road and near a municipal market in the capital city of Bangladesh. Many girls and women from various areas come to her centre. Now her beauty parlor is popular to the many women and girls in this area.

Nirupoma set up a beauty parlor & training centre in 2006 April in Dhaka. The meaning of her beauty parlor’s name is (the lonely place/ solitary). She has invested Taka 328,000 at a time to set up this parlor shop. She told in details of setting up cost of her business centre. She had to pay advance for parlor place 268000 taka and she had to spend 40,000 taka for decorating the centre and she bought cosmetics and necessary equipments by 15000 taka at a time. She has to pay 5000 taka per month excluding 500 taka electricity and water charge per month. She also appointed 3 assistant of beauticians whom she has to pay 3000 taka to 1000 taka per months excluding free food and accommodation charges. She rented two roomed beauty parlor centre. She also rented a flat including three bed rooms and two bath rooms. She has to pay Tk. 8500 per month as house rent. She collected these assistant beauticians from her home district. She keeps them to her house. She fixed their salary according to their experiences/ performances. She pays 3000 taka one senior persons, 2000 taka one second senior person and 1000 taka another junior person. After recruiting them she also trained up them. Nirupoma told that after starting her beauty parlor she informed among her friends circles and known persons about her business. On the other hand, she set up her parlor such a place that any one can go and find out easily. As she was known to the many people in this area she was able to collect many customers easily. In a few days good will of her business spread out. She also provides good service to everyone. Usually she can earn more than TK 30,000 per month excluding her business related expenditure. Last July, 07 she earned TK 35000 excluding all of her business related expenditure. She also said that almost every month 1 or 2 students take admission to learn the beauty parlor skills and she takes 5000 taka to 8000 taka from per students. But few years (Four years) ago she was passing her life in dark and unlawful way. Then she used to live in fear everyday. Then she was not honored by any person but sometimes she was insulted by many persons. Then she used to try to hide herself and she could not go to her relatives, even to her blooded relatives.

So we asked her about her early life, education, migration and an event of her dark life, history and escaping from that life.

Nirupoma told that she was born in Sonargoan thana under Narayangonj district. She was born in 1976 (approximately). Her father was a farmer and mother was mere a housewife. Her father possessed some cultivable land from where they used to get sufficient crops. Their family was solvent and her father did not face any problem to maintain their family. Nirupoma had one elder sister and younger sister but she had no brother. Her two sisters are already got married and they are now living with their respective families. Her elder sister studied up to class-10 (SSC) and her younger sister studied up to class-12. But Nirupoma studied up to class-9 only. She said that she was not good student and she did not get promotion final examination of class-9. Next year she went few months to her school and then she gave up her study. Her parents wanted to continue her study but she was not interested to go to her school as she was not good student. After giving up her study she started to do homework with her mother and she was fond of visiting market and enjoying cinema with her neighboring girls/friends. She also visited college with some of neighboring girls.

Next posting:
1. Nirupoma’s migration and sympathetic events of her life which through her in dark/ unlawful life?
2. How she escaped from her dark life, her married life and present life/problem to run business as woman and sex worker.

Birth of a child in street

Written by Tarun Falia & Taslima Akter

Dalia Khatun, a girl is 17 years. She passed her childhood with her parents in her village under Mymensingh district. That time she passed her day very well. But she lost her parents when she was 8 years old. They are 8 brothers and sisters. After the death of her parents her sister and brother started to live individually. That time she was alone and had no any person to take care of her. One day one of her neighboring woman proposed to come in Dhaka, doing something for her livelihood.After coming to Dhaka she started to work as a domestic worker and continued it 4 years. Then she was 12 years old. After giving her working as domestic worker she stated to work as labor. She took a little room in a slum and stayed alone there. She was living happily working as day labor and living hand to mouth. Once upon she fell in love with a rickshaw puller. She knew that ricswa puller from her childhood as they were living same area. Last year of June, 06 they got married.

After their marriage she started to live with her husband. After one month of their marriage her husband started to misbehave with her and sometimes he used to beat without any cause. After three months of her marriage she became pregnant. Day by day her husband increased his misbehaving. Dalia wanted to know the causes of her husband’s misbehave with her. One day she followed him and saw that her husband made illegal relation with a garment worker. After observing that day she didn’t ask her husband anything, because she thought that he would be back. Dalia was living as usual. One day her husband didn’t return in their house and she informed that her husband got married with that garments worker and then she was 6 months pregnancy.

She was losing her working energy day by day. When her pregnancy time was 8 month, she became weak and she could not do any work. That time she took shelter in her cousin’s house. Her cousin worked in a garment factory. After living several weeks her cousin’s got married and left her.

Then Dalia was near in delivery period and she was very weak. In the mean time flood submerged many places in Dhaka city and her residence was also under water. She had to fasted as she had no money or income source. She also could not sleep. Then sometimes some of neighboring people helped her providing foods. Day by day the water was increasing and she could not stay at her residence. She had to leave her residence and searched another living place but she failed. In the mean time she felt pain but she could not find out any suitable place. She had no money to take admission in any hospital. At last she took shelter in a car garage of a house.

The house owner saw her in the morning. When he (the house owner) saw her, suffering in delivery pain then he called in wet-nurse. Then Dalia gave birth to a boy in car garage of that house. The house owner and other people of that house helped her providing food, some cloths and treatment. The house owner named her child “Masud”. Now Dalia dreams with her son, Masud. Dalia dreams that Masud will grow up and he will go to school, in future her son will look after her. She also expects her son will protest his father’s improper conduct against his mother.

Dalia with her son - picture by Tarun Falia

Now Dalia is not okay as physically. After recover her health she doesn’t know what she will do and where she will go with her son. Maybe Dalia’s dreams will true or maybe her son will be a street baby like as other street baby.

Tarun Falia has taken a video of Dalia and her son from this garage.