As we in the United States were beginning to celebrate the holiday season, Bangladesh was celebrating as well — the 40th anniversary of the country’s independence. However, as Selima Ahmad, president of CIPE partner the Bangladesh Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, reports in this letter to her supporters, those celebrations were for her somewhat bittersweet:
December 16, 2011:
21-year-old Hawa Akther Jui, whose husband is accused of cutting off the fingers on her right hand. (Photo: BBC)
Forty years ago, we had 9 months of war – from 26th March 1971 until victory on 16th December on the same year. I still remember the immense joy and happiness we all felt for having an independent country – Bangladesh.
I woke up in the morning with a smile, thinking “today is our victory day, a celebration of 40 years. I looked from my verandah and saw my three pet ducks running and enjoying the sun of winter, and new flowers blooming everywhere on the green, green grass. I took a deep breath of the fresh morning air. I looked towards the right hand side of the garden, and saw our national flag fluttering proudly in the soft cool breeze. What a happy and proud day.
I don’t read newspaper regularly. I get news by watching TV channels. 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, the 40 year anniversary of our victory day ; there should be more good news than bad news. I took the newspaper and saw the news.
Jui, a girl of 21 years, had the fingers of her right hand chopped off by her husband so that she could not write and did not dare to study. We talk about gender equality, freedom of speech, freedom to do what we want to do, technological advancement, space, rockets, science… democracy? Are girls and women in this least developed country so helpless? Where is our democracy? Where is the rule of law? Where is justice? Above all where is humanity?
Today I cried silently the whole day. I just could not forget this brutality, and it is very painful for us in a country where the prime minister, foreign minister, home minister, and opposition leader are all women. In Bangladesh it is women who are ruling the country and here 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 I stayed at my parents’ house until my exam, then lived with my husband and his family. When I went to study at university I was 7 months pregnant and my husband used to take me for classes every day, waiting in front of my classes until the end so that in this new environment and with new classmates he could 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, and we need to see that husbands cannot have the power to beat us, throw us, chop us, burn us, and kill us.
We all have to work together, as it is a long way to go. Today I am more committed to bring a difference in the lives of the women of Bangladesh. You have all 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’s do not occur.
What is Jui thinking of us?
Selima Ahmad
President, Bangladesh Women Chamber Of Commerce And Industry
