Magura bazaar: A desperate lifeline to women

A shopkeeper waits for customers at Boubazaar in Magura. The women-operated market let the poor women be self-reliant to a great extent. Photo: STARHossain Seraj, Magura

A little tin-roofed market let poor women come out of the curse of poverty in Magura.

The market, known as Boubazaar, mainly operated by women, is situated close to the Satdoha cremation ground in a suburb of Magura town.

The bazaar opened in 2004 amid hopes of welfare for distressed women.

The local elite and a committee that oversees the cremation ground established the market where women -- either divorced or widowed at early ages -- are the shopkeepers.

Nine women set up shops at their own expenses now running smoothly. Of them, some are greengrocers, some own stationery shops. One of them is engaged in fish trading.

The shopkeepers are: Alladi Biswas, Jyotsna Biswas, Suchitra Biswas, Jamuna Rani Sarkar, Niva Rani Biswas, Rekha Rani, Bhanu Sarkar, Minoti Rani and Urboshi Biswas.

Female customers feel more comfortable visiting the market as all shopkeepers and vendors are women.

“I feel comfortable shopping here as bargaining with a female shopkeeper is much easier than with a male vendor," said Sheuly Begum, a housewife of Parla village.

“The bazaar helps us depend less on men than before.”

The cremation ground committee does not take rents from shopkeepers as a kind gesture to the women.

The bazaar remains open round the clock with a break for two hours every day from 12.30pm to 2.30pm.

Jamuna Rani Sarkar, a widow, told The Daily Star that she had married Iswar Shambhunath Sarkar at her early age. Her husband died about 16 years back, leaving her behind with a son.

Jamuna set up a stationery shop at the bazaar four years ago with an investment of Tk 10,000 she saved from selling her ornaments.

She managed to buy a refrigerator several years ago to reserve cold beverages for customers. It helped increase her sales.

Jyotsna Biswas earns around Tk 120-Tk 130 from her vegetable shop a day. She was left to deal with her future alone after her husband walked out on her 12 years ago and went to India.

Despite a string of troubles, Jyotsna is happy with what she is now: self-reliant.

Suchitra Biswas, a mother of two, sells fish in her makeshift shed. With her income, however little, she was able to take her daughter Susmita to school.