The women from coastal areas who got married before passing JDC or SSC examinations.are on their way to success thanks to the cooperation of their husband and their own efforts.
Some had to sit for the test while pregnant. Some had to feed their breast-feeding children at the center during the test. Since the marriage, they have been doing household chores. Yet the women of the coast do not stop due to their indomitable will. Like Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Dakhil, they are also successful in Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and Alim examinations by the grace of Allah.
The women of Koyra, a coastal upazila of Khulna, have been affected by natural calamities, poverty, child marriage etc.
However, they moved forward by maintaining good relations with their husbands leaving behind all these obstacles including social barriers and are successfully advancing in education.
Redwana Akhter Meem, a mother of two, is the eldest daughter of Kamal Uddin, a shopkeeper of Deyara Paschimpara in Koyra Upazila. She married Nassir Hossain of Shimla’s Ait Gram while studying in class eight. Her husband worked in a project of the Fisheries Department. After getting married, she has to go to a different upazila with her husband for her husband’s job purpose.
Although she stopped going to school after marriage, her husband’s inspiration later accelerated her studies. Besides maintaining her family, she continued her studies at home. Being educated, her husband used to help her in teaching at home. At one stage, she passed JDC with GPA-4.55 in 2017 from Jaipur Shimlaraite Daruchunnah Dakhil Madrasa. Later, she passed the Dakhil exam from the same madrasa in 2019 with GPA-4.06 while pregnant and she was blessed with a baby boy.
Later, 3 months before the Alim exam, she welcomed another baby boy. In this year’s Alim examination, she achieved GPA-4.36 from Kalna Aminia Fazil Madrasa. Meem said that she always get her husband’s support and inspiration.
Shamima Akhter, another woman from Talimpur village in Rupsha upazila of Khulna. While studying in class ten, she got married to an honors student of a low-income family. Her husband struggled to meet their basic demands. Yet, she passed SSC from Naihati Secondary Girls School, in 2018 with GPA-3.97 and was admitted to Khulna Government Pioneer Women’s College.
Later on, she conceived a child and continued her study with nursing her child. However, she could not fill the HSC form last year due to financial problems. This year she filled the form by taking a loan and successfully passed with a GPA of 4.33 in the Commerce Department.
Morzina also struggled for everything now she has. She got married to Idris Hossain of Bagali village in Koyra upazila while she was in class 10. Though she got married at such an early age, she successfully passed Dakhil and Alim examination with good results. She is grateful to her husband and family members for their support.
Not only Meem, Shamima and Morzina but many women who have struggled with the coastal adversity are continuing their studies successfully even after marriage.
However, most of the meritorious students are not able to show their talents due to poverty.
There are even many women who are compelled to shut their studies due to the lack of financial and familial support after getting married after passing SSC.
Koyra Upazila Women’s Affairs Officer Reshma Akhter Rumi said, “All these indomitable women of our marginalized society are moving forward by taking care of their husbands, children and family by overcoming that obstacle like child marriage. Best wishes to all these unyielding women.”
“I pray for them and hope they will reach the pinnacle of success one day by the grace of Allah”. They will enlighten not only themselves but also the whole family, society and even the world, she added. The Upazila Administration Office will always stay by their side, she added.
Animesh Biswas, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Koyra said, “It is everyone’s expectation that the women of the coastal villages should not lag behind and move forward on an equal footing with the men.”
However, “I urge everyone to be aware of this so that they do not fall prey to child marriage,” he added.
Source: United News of Bangladesh