Change the thought
At times, “women’s” and “restrictions” were moved together. Women without restriction – was pretty unthinkable specially in any conservative society. They had restriction to move, restriction to education, restriction to express opinion …….. life was full of restrictions. They were grown up with a mentality that they are not allowed to participate what their male partners can. They didn’t grow up free and the result is – they even forget that they also have equal rights to participate and can contribute equally as like any male in the society.
Thank God, the situation is changing with the course of time. With the help of progressive part of the society, women are also looking back to themselves and trying to believe that they are not different from their male counterparts. Now they believe from their heart that they are equally strong if not more to participate to move the society towards a positive direction.
In 2019, when I was passing time at Chittagong sea beach, I find a lady, fully covered with “Burkah and Hijab” (Islamic dresses) is walking in the sea beach with a bunch of young kids with “Islamic” dresses for which I was not ready at all as it's not a normal scene at the beach. By then my eyes were following them unconsciously and I understood that they are from any “Madrasha” (Islamic education center). When I saw they lady was taking selfies with her young students, I couldn’t stop myself clicking that moment as I took it as a sign of progressiveness. Couple of decades back when women were not even allowed for education, nowadays they can choose a teaching profession at an Islamic institute and can take their students to the sea beach for their recreation and part of education, I felt this is the way society and mentality changes.
SHAHRIAR FARZANA, Bangladesh, CHITTAGONG
