Bloggers profile (Students)

Sherin Sultana

'In my small village there are many small houses,

We all live together.
There is no distinction among us'

"This imagine of a small village is Habibpur. It is in Barisal at Wazirpur Thana where I was born. Here I passed various types of colorful days of my childhood & teenage period. I am the oldest of two sisters & one brother in a middle class family. The starting of my life was different & for that I obtained the primary stage of learning from my grand mother. I passed S.S.C (Secondary School Certificate) in 1999 & H.S.C (Higher Secondary Certificate) in 2001 from my village.

The second stage of my life has started in Dhaka, although I need some time to adjust here out of my traditional life. I admitted in the University of Dhaka. Thousands of new faces became very close in the place of my previous friends. By this time I have already completed graduation & now I am in Masters.

I heard about Nari Jibon from my aunt for one year. Once I came here to visit. I want to know about its activities, target & aim. After knowing everything I felt very interest about it. It seems to me that it’s a great opportunity for me. Without making any delay I admitted here within some days. I joined here in ICT magazine of Nari Jibon. I want to make establish myself & that’s why I related my life with Nari Jibon.

If I am to say about myself then at first I will say--my favorite person is my mother; favorite color is sky-blue; favorite flower is krishnachura. I like to walk alone in a moon lit night by the side of the river & ride on a rickshaw with my favorite person. I like most to hear songs & read novels in my leisure period. I like to think myself as a good human being. I feel a great sorrow when I see the sorrow of others. I hate to tell lie. My bad side is- I am very lazy, not serious about myself & my good side is- I don’t get angry with anybody. I always miss the days of my child hood & the green narrow path of my village."

Shamima Akter Rita

"My name is Shamima Akter Rita. My friends and family members called me ‘Rita’. It is my nickname. I am 19 years old. I was born at Narshingdi in Bangladesh. But my childhood passed at Dhaka city. Now I live in Dhaka. I am a Bangladeshi. Islam is my religion. I am a student. I have completed my Secondary School Certificate (S.S.C) in 2001 at Khilgaon Model School & Higher Secondary Certificate (H.S.C) in 2003 at Motijeel Model College under Dhaka Board. Now I study in B.B.S. (Hons) 1St year at Khilgaon Model College. Accounting is my subject. Now I am doing courses on English, Computer office program & Hardware from Nari Jibon Project. Nari jibon project is a good organization to me. It is working only for women. So it’s a great opportunity for me. I am really happy to admit here. I have improved my skills in English and got knowledge on computer. Now the knowledge on English & computer are needed for getting good jobs. As a student of Accounting Department I want to be a Bank Manager. So it’s very important for me. Now I am also happy to be a part of blog Project. I didn’t know about blog project. It’s a new & good experience for me. Now I am trying to write in English. I can give some information about Bangladesh to other country through narijibon blog spot. My favorite poet is Kazi Nazrul Islum. My favorite hobby is Painting and Gardening. I like watching TV. Nari Jibon gives alternative skills for women. This Nari Jibon Institute works for women awareness. So I wish all the success of the Nari Jibon Project."

The Mango: The King of Fruits

Written by Shahana Akter Munia

The mango is the best of all fruits in Bangladesh to me. Mango is the "National Fruit" of India. It is very delicious. It has sweet flavor. It is called the king of fruits. The mango is a summer fruit. It grows in warm climate. So it is found in plenty in the countries of South-East-Asia. Mangoes are found almost everywhere in Bangladesh. But the mangoes of Rajshahi area are the best .They are very tasteful and very remarkable for their sweetness and flavor. In that part of the country the weather and soil are suitable for the growth of mango trees.
There are many varieties of mangoes. They are Langra, Fazli, Gopalbhog, Mohanbhog etc. They are famous for flavor, taste and sweetness. All sorts of people --- young or old, male or female like it. It can be eaten even when it is green. I think the mango is the best fruit from all fruits. I like the Mango very much.

Nirupoma, a successful business woman, Who passed long days in unlawful and dark life? - 3

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

After previous >>

NIrupoma used to train other sex workers in the hotel. Her main duty was in the hotels where she also had to stay for running her sex trade. She worked in this project more than two years. This time she became aware of hiv/aids/stds. She became introduced with many sex workers, clients and hotels owners in Dhaka city.

From the beginning time she thought that she would not run her profession whole life and so she would have to save some more money to drive her life in another profession. She also says that sex workers can not save money due to many reasons. Most of the time sex workers are cheated by the lovers or acting husbands or cheater relatives. They are also harassed by the hotel staffs, local muscle men, police etc. At the same time, hotel based sex workers receive less money from the clients. Though hotel owners receive more than 300 taka from each client per program but sex workers receive only 70 taka 80 taka from per client per program.

In 2004, she visited several times the Sathi (now Nari Jibon) office where they (sex workers) often discussed alternative skills and where they were motivated to change their profession. She was also thinking to change her profession. Actually she motivated to change her life from there. Her friend and later her husband helped her to change her life.

Nirupoma got married in the middle of 2003 with Sajjad who gave her shelter and residence facilities. From the beginning time his guardians were aware about her. He often lived with her. Day by day he became weak to her. At last he got married her. Now they live are living together renting a flat. Nirupoma arranged marriage ceremony at her native village. Sometime she visits her village with her husband. Last year Nirupoma gave birth to a female child and now (August, 07) it is 18 months old. Her husband is a businessman and he is running a (TV, Fridge) sales centre in Dhaka. Her husband helped her to set up her beauty parlor & training centre. Her husband did not take her cash ever and he did not harass her ever. After getting married, Nirupoma has given up her sex working profession.

As a woman businessman and an ex-sex worker sometimes she faces problem but she can overcome everything easily. As an example, one of her neighboring shopkeeper complained to her shop owner that she was a sex worker and requested to expel her. But shop owner said to him that he knew that she was sex worker in her past life, but now she is doing only business and her dealing is also better than him. After that her neighboring shopkeeper did not say anything about her. Some beauty parlor owners also tried to chase away her but now most of them have quitted trying to chase away her. At present usually she does not face any problem though many persons know her as a sex worker but now many persons know that she has quitted her previous profession. Rest of her life she wants to pass out of sex working life. She thinks that her past life was in the dark and now she is in light.

End

Nirupoma, a successful business woman, Who passed long days in unlawful and dark life? -2

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

After previous >>

Nirupoma is very beautiful to look at. Her tall & slim figure, nice appearance and well dress up made her like a heroine. As a Bengali nari (girl) she is attractive to everyone (male person). Stopping her study gave more opportunity to move. Then she fell in love with a young man who was born in a rich family. Nirupoma and her love knew that their guardians would not agree with their marriage as he was unemployed and Nirupoma’s elder sister was also unmarried. He was then a college student reading in class-14. Then they took decision that they would flee away their house and they would get married. According to their decision they both left their house and he took her to a relative’s house at Comilla. They got married (religious rule) at his relative’s house, but his relative did not allow them to live at their house more days. Then her husband took her to Dhaka and he rented a room in a residential hotel. They both had some money but within few days they spent all of their money. One day he fled away leaving her in that hotel, in Malibagh Chowdhurypara area. Nirupoma faced problem as she was alone in the hotel and she had no money. She waited two days for her husband but he did not return to her. At last hotel authority gave her some money to go to her village.

After two days she went to her village and she told her parents everything. Then she also went to her husband’s house but her husband was not in the house as he hid some where, and she tried to stay at her husband’s house but other members of her law’s family misbehaved with her. Besides, her guardians also called some of their local honorable persons to solve their problem. But her husband’s family was rich and more powerful than her family. Her husband’s guardians demanded 3 to 5 lac taka to get Nirupoma as their son’s wife or they offered some money to leave their son. Their marriage was not registered and they got married only by the religious rules. But Nirupoma knew that her parents were unable to pay such amount of money. Later Nirupoma took TK. 20000 and left her husband’s house. Then Nirupoma went to her parents’ house and observed their guardians pale faces. They were displeased to her and next day Nirupoma left their village and she came to Dhaka. She came directly to that hotel where she lived several days with her husband.

Nirupoma had come to Dhaka at the end of 1998. When she lived in this residential hotel with her husband she observed and heard about sex trade. Second time she came in this hotel to run this trade. She told that she had no alternative way as it was difficult to stay with her birth family. She and her guardians were much insulted by her husband’s family and local persons. She could not tolerate such kind of insults with her guardians and then there were arisen bad rumors at her locality and then some neighboring people did not want to talk with them.

After coming to Dhaka she started sex trades. She did not rent any house to live. She used to live same hotel where she sold sex. After one week she introduced with a young boy who became her permanent client. In a few days he became close with her. Almost everyday he used to come to her. He heard everything from the hotel authority about her and she also told her recent events of her life. The name of that boy was S. and then he was about 28 years old. Nirupoma told him to seek a house for her as she could not sleep properly in the hotel. Then he offered her to live in his house because his family had two houses in Dhaka and most of their family members used to live out of country. Nirupoma lived in one room attached bath and kitchen in the ground floor in a four storied building. She told that he was eldest child of their family and at the beginning time his family members did not know anything about her. He was in charge of that house. As he was a muscle man type she did not face any problem to live that house. Nirupoma also said that at the beginning time he told her not to hope to get him married as it was impossible to him. He would just help her for accommodation. Nirupoma said that she was pleased with him as sex workers’ main problem was accommodation which she had to not face ever. Nobody came to disturb or harass her at her residence.

From then she continued her sex business randomly. Her expectation was after saving three lac taka she would throw all money to her ex-husband and his parents in law’s faces. Nirupoma became pale when she was expressing her previous life. Nirupoma did not have any communication with her parents and relatives for about long two years. Then she communicated with her parents but she did not give them her address. Later she used to visit her village regularly. At the middle of 2000, she joined in a HIV/AIDS prevention project in Dhaka as a peer educator. There she was trained on HIV/AIDs prevention.

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