Purpose of Narijibon Blog

Nari Jibon Project seeks to increase our students’ and staffs’ abilities through different ways: classes, practice, computers, internet, and now the Narijibon Blog. Readers and writers (our students & staff) of the Blog will both learn about our lives, culture, Nature, activities of people in Bangladesh and the Nari Jibon Project.

Saturday, December 8, 2007

When Nari Jibon acts as an alternative skill provider

Written by M.G. Rabbany ‘Sujan’

Population is increasing rapidly in Bangladesh day by day and the same time the percentage of educated persons is also increasing. Almost at the same time women’s education is also increasing from previous levels. But Bangladesh government and economy are failing to create sufficient work for these educated populations. These educated and unemployed populations are facing heavy competition to get a job and are struggling with many difficulties. These unemployed and disappointed educated people are also suffering from cheater & bogus employment authorities and corrupted officials even more.

In this situation educated women are also struggling to get a job. Even now women have many obstacles to get a job in our country as they can not join every kind of job. Scarcity of skill is also another problem to get a job for Bangladeshi women. Although the percentage of educated women is increasing, some are not interested to take skills for developing their career and getting jobs. They complete only academic study, but they (also their guardians) are not interested to take skills that can make them competitive in this job market.

Anyway, Nari Jibon provides women with alternative skills according to the demand of the students. Nari Jibon provides Bangla, English language skills, computer and Tailoring skills beside other packages skills (like- Business Management, Photography, Blog etc. with other awareness programs) with internship and more practice time at women cyber café. In the mean time many students already have taken skills from Nari Jibon organization.

The good news is that, recently Bangladesh Election Commission appointed some manpower temporary (for preparing voter and national ID card project). We have learned that some more students were offered jobs. We have informed that already Jesmin ara Amzad, Kamrun nahar, Rozy Alam and Zannat ara Amzad have joined for doing that job. They will be able to work for 3 months at their own area office and 3 months another area office but inside Dhaka if they agreed. They will get 5 taka per voter sheet and their post’s name is computer operator. Kamrun nahar joined as supervisor of a group of computer operators and Rozy Alom has joined as data collector. These students have taken English and computer skills and they are running students & bloggers of Nari Jibon organization still now.

We have also learned that some more students got offer to join the jobs such as Sathi, Moyna, Sultana Dilroba, Suchitra, Sultana begum etc but they did not join the job due to some problems like their guardians were not agreed to work after the evening and some of their personal causes.

Students who have joined to this post also faced almost same problems but they have overcome their problems to make agreement for work with their guardians.

I wish to congratulate these students and pray for them to go ahead through the Blog site of Nari Jibon. Also we (staff & students) are grateful to all the DONORS.

The introductions are given below of those students who have joined to the Election Commission’s recent project:

Jesmin-ara-amzad
















Jesmin ara Amjad (id# 713), blogger of Nari Jibon and student of English-2 and Computer Section. She is reading in class-15 at Khilgoan Model College University.


Zannat-ara-amzad













Zannat ara Amzad (ID# 712) blogger of Nari Jibon blog site and student of English-2, Computer Section. She has completed H.S.C. examination last year and she is trying to take admission in any university.


Kamrun-nahar Pushpo















Kamrun nahar Pushpo (ID# 715), She is new blogger of Nari Jibon blog site and student of English-2 and Computer Section. She is reading in class-15 at Khilgoan Model College University.


Rozy Alom












Rozy Alom (ID# 555), She is the student of English-2 and Computer Section of Nari Jibon. She has joined as data collector. She is also working in a kinder garden school as a teacher.


Anjuman-ara-ali
















When I was writing this article, another Nari Jibon’s graduate (English and Computer) student named Anjuman-ara-ali (ID# 451 ) came to visit our office and informed that last month she joined in a Multinational Company named Flora Limited as a Sales Executive where she will get 5500 taka per month as her salary.

Various Uses of Flowers

By Salma Siddika Mumu

I think a flower is a symbol of beauty. Its sweet and fresh smell attracts to all and keeps our mind fresh. There is hardly any person can be found who does not love flowers.

We all like flowers. Though most of the people of our country are very poor, they cannot buy flowers. Only a particular level of people can buy flowers.

At past we preferred books, showpieces, dresses, ornaments as gift items. Now a day people’s mentalities are changing day by day in our country. Beside those gift items, people give flowers on any occasions. People like to give bouquet to their favorite person. People also go to meet any patient with bouquet and wish them to get well soon.

Now many people are doing business on flowers. Today solvent people are buying flowers. People like to decorate their houses by flowers on any occasions. At present exhibitions and fairs on flowers are also becoming popular day-by-day. Man wants to change their condition by working. The business of flower helps them to solve unemployment problem and it contributes much in the economy of the country.

Flowers are using as gift items and to decorate places on various occasions, program, seminars etc. This will help to encourage the flower cultivators to cultivate flowers more and more. Therefore, a new business may emerge in our country.

Friday, December 7, 2007

Monowara Begum who faced domestic violence after marriage

By Taslima Akter


My name is Monoara Begum. I was born in Araihazar, Dhaka. My father was a service holder and mother is a house wife. We are two sisters and one brother and I am eldest daughter of my parents. My father died when I was only 8 years old. After death of my father our family faced serious financial problem. My mother faced much problem to arrange sufficient food for us. One of my neighbors (I used to call her aunty) took me in Dhaka and gave a work in a house as domestic worker. My salary was only 50 taka per month. At the end of month I used to send it to my mother. Nearly 5 years, I worked there. When I was 13 years old one shop keeper (who has a shop near by my work place) proposed to marry me. First time I refused and told him that I am poor girl. In reply, he told me that there is no rule that poor girl can’t get married. After seeing her good behaviors and passionate I was convinced and at last I fall in love.

We got married without permission of my mother. After two days of our marriage we decided to go to Bramonbariya in my father-in-laws house. My hardship life started when I reached to my in-law’s house. I had to hear lots of bad commands regarding our marriage. My mother-in-low, sister-in-low started to misbehave with me without any cause. In my in-laws house I didn’t get anyone who liked me. They abused me both mentally and physically. They didn’t give me enough food and enough cloth to wear though they had no financial problem. My husband knew everything but he could not say anything as he got married without the permission of his parents.

After few months of our marriage I went to my village to meet with my mother. I stayed few days with my mothers but no one from my in-lows house communicated with me. After some days one of my husbands neighbor (aunty) came and took me with her and that was my offence. I had to stand outside of the house whole night as punishment. They didn’t open their door. Next morning the village people came to know about that and to stop the mouth of village people my father-in-low took me in his house (it was just show). After this incident they had increased their torturing. But outside people didn’t know it.

After one year of marriage I became pregnant. But I didn’t get time to rest and enough food during my pregnancy; even I had to work hard. After passing hardship days I gave birth of a female child. My new born baby became sick after 2 days of her birth. But no one took her to doctor and at last she died. Maybe for the careless and for working hard my daughter died after 2 days of her birth. Another fault was I gave birth of a female child and for that my husband also started to torture me along with others. My husband used to angry with me without any cause. He was unemployed because my father in low stopped his business after our marriage.

One day my husbands requested his father for giving money and send him abroad. My father-in-low said, “we hoped, we could take wedding gift (dowry) from your in-lows family. And If we could take wedding gift (dowry) we would not had to think about your future but you got married in a poor family and could not take any wedding gift.” My father-in-low was so angry and was saying that he will not give any money. After lots of request my father in low agreed to give money and my husband went to Malaysia.

I was in my in-low house when my husband went to Malaysia. My mother-in-low wanted I leave their house and to make me leave their house they again started to abuse me physically and mentally. Sometimes they didn’t give me any food. They all always wanted that I leave their house and then they can get her son married again.

My husband didn’t stay long time in Malaysia as his visa was false. He had to come back to Bangladesh after 3 months. He was very much upset as he had to come back to Malaysia. The people of my in-lows family started to sandaled me and was saying me opoya (ominous). In spite of all these abuse I was living with husband and became pregnant again. I wanted to safe my upcoming baby and for that I left their house without telling anyone.

I was passing my days in my mother’s house. Since I left my in-lows house no one communicated with me. In due time, I gave birth of a male child. It was the happiest moment in my life but my happiness didn’t last long as I had to think of the child’s father. He was not there. My mother started to work as a domestic worker after the death of my father because my brother was too young to work. Our family was poor and I felt that I was burden of my family. When my son was 6 months old, I came to Dhaka with one of my neighbor and took shelter in one of my relative’s house. Dhaka city is totally unknown to me and I didn’t understand where I can get work. I took a job in a garment factory with the help of one of my relative’s neighbor and my salary was only 300 taka. I had to do overtime work. After getting work I took my mother and younger brother in Dhaka city and we rented a room. My husband didn’t communicate with us even didn’t meet with my son.

After long days my husband went to our village to meet with us but he didn’t get us over there as we were in Dhaka. Later he got our address and came to Dhaka along with one of our neighbor who knew our address. My husband came to me and begged pardon for what he did before. He informed me that he had left his parents. As I used to love my husband I forgave him. He took a job in a garment factory. His income was very poor. We had to do hard and also do overtime for earning more money for our family. Few months later my husband left his garments job and managed a job in a travel agency. Now he is earning much to maintain the family. We have rented a separate room. I have resigned my garment job. Now I am mother of two sons. I want to make my son educated.

I knew about Nari Jibon activities from one of my neighbors. After visiting Nari Jibon office I became interested to take training from here. I was uneducated but have confidence that I can study and get admission of Nari Jibon in Bangla section. I have a dream that after finishing my course I would like to start home based tailoring business. I would like to help my family financially. My husband makes all the decision of my family. I can’t make any decision but I think when I will be able to earn and help the family financially I could make some decision and my husband will priorities me before making any decision. Now I can read, write and make sentence in Bangla, can make little word in English and also know little about addition, subtraction, multiplication etc.

I would like to give my special thanks to all Nari Jibon donors and also mother (founder) of Nari Jibon who built this institute and given us the opportunity to learn what we really need.

See the video of Monoara where she is expressing her feelings and also moment of her studying.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

A Street Hawker in Bangladesh

By Tahmina Akter

A street hawker is a common figure in Bangladesh. Now a day he is seen to sell goods as moving shops. He sells things of common use or fancy items. He carries his goods in a bag or in a basket. He sometimes carries his moving shop on his bicycle or on a pushing car. He walks along in the roads by calling the names of his articles by singing a song or by ringing a bell. His peculiar calls draw the attention of children, women, folk and simple persons.

A hawker sells children & women’s favorite things, such as: toys, dolls, biscuits, cakes, ice-cream, sweet meats, fruits etc. He sometimes sells common necessary things, such as: clothes, cookeries, vegetables, newspapers, magazines and many other necessary and fancy articles. A street hawker is a man of jolly nature. He sometimes sings comic songs or plays flute or shows some magic in order to get the attention of people around him. Then he approaches with a smiling face and he declares his items are the best from others. By his pleasant words he convinces the people and able to sell his goods at a high rate. He some times deceives his customers both in kind and quality. Maybe they do this for their poverty.

A street hawker is highly welcomed by the children. He is a favorite person to them. Sometimes he deceives with the children, women and simple people. So some people do not like him.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

An Anecdote of my friend, Mitu

By Sherin Sultana

Mitu was very favorite and close friend of mine. She was so different among our friends. There are some people who can attract others very easily. Mitu was like them, full of joy and lovely. She always made fun and we became impressed on her. Beside academic knowledge she had many extra qualities. In Orientation program, Pahela Baishakh, Pahela Falgun or any other cultural occasion she was ready to participate without feeling any hesitation.

Though she was so enjoyable but she was very alone in her own world. She was from a broken family. Some days she stayed with her mother and some days with her father. I noticed that she had no eagerness to back home, when we had to reach before the fixed time. She always wanted to remain busy on other purposes and returned home when she wished. Financially Mitu was solvent; she got everything what ever she wanted either from her mother or from her father. The thing was that, she never faced any type of guidance from her family and so she was practiced a little uncontrolled life.

The life was going on like this way but when the most favorite person of her life refused her, she can’t control her. To forget her sorrows, she selected another type of life. Everyday she made new relations with new persons. She was always busy to talk to them whole day and night on phone. Now her life is going on like this way. When she needed supports and guidance from her family, at that time for the lack of proper guidance she is advancing an uncertain life.

Mitu’s younger sister Nitu was very polite and soft minded. It seemed to me that, in this family Nitu was only person upon whom the family could depend and yet it was going on with her supports. But at present she is also acquiring the nature of Mitu. She changes her boy friends one after another. Her demand is only money. Now her relation with her family locates only for money.

I saw how a person can be changed for the lacking of love, affection and proper guidance. But when I saw to be change the nearest parson in front of my sight then I couldn’t keep silent. I feel very sad.

We always learned to hate the wicked persons but never tried to know the cause of their wickedness. We should show the right way to them. Otherwise the next generation won’t be able to safe.

I know if I try I won’t be able to become like Mitu or I won’t be able to join her broken family. I only can be a calm witness of this reality.

Justice for Nadine-delayed - fugitive sajid absconds again

From Kathryn Ward--re those searching for recent information about Justice for Nadine:

In regard to (lack of) Justice for Nadine:

Her alleged abuser and rapist, fugitive Sajid Huq, missed a second court date on 3 December in New York City. An erstwhile Columbia University graduate student, he has been absconding since missing his first court date (1 Nov--warrant issued). Meanwhile, he (and his friends) have been posting his rationalizations for his abuse-rape on various blogs via a variety of names. See for example, in mid November, the excellent post on the case by Abdul Kargo and the ensuing comments--some by Sajid et al in T'ings 'n Things "What is a woman's worth measured against?". See my own recent post on the case and coverage in Bideshi Blue and other posts-links in the last month.

You can read more about this case on the Justice for Nadine facebook page, 9,411 and counting members from around the world, including pictures of Nadine post assault and also picture of Sajid. Pls inform the police and/or call 911 if you see him in USA. Elsewhere, inform the authorities.

Beyond this case, please reach out: listen and learn more and join community discussions and programs on domestic violence and violence against women VAW ...where ever you are. If you need to find out more about domestic violence programs in Bangladesh, USA, or New York City, New Jersey, or Washington, D.C. or Maryland and/ or programs such as Sakhi, Manavi,or Asha, follow this link. Another good site is Adhunika's blog.

My thoughts are with Nadine and her family-friends during this difficult time.

Some parts cross-posted Bideshi Blue who is posting every day on the 16 Days to Eliminate Violence Against Women (25 Nov-10 Dec) and also Take Back the Tech campaign against VAW on ICTs and internet.