Babita’s struggle for survival

Nearly two decades back when little Babita Rani Das was supposed to study in a school, her poor father married her off to an unemployed youth to get rid of the responsibility on his shoulder.

At that time, Babita's father Shelly Das, who used to mend shoes at his makeshift shop in Madarganj upazila town, had been struggling a lot to maintain his poor family with the little income he had.

Despite being only 12-year-old, she was forcibly married off to a local youth and became of victim of child marriage at an early age.

In 2004, her poor father married her off to 22-year-old Bahadur Robi Das, a resident of Jamalpur's Islampur upazila, against her will.

At the beginning, Babita's conjugal life with Bahadur was going pretty well and they were soon blessed with a baby boy in 2006.

But the ordeal that covered her life with grief began when Bahadur started to take drugs and became completely addicted.

At one stage, Bahadur started misbehaving and torture Babita.

Failing to bear the inhuman torture and finding to other alternative, Babita returned to her father's house at Barabhangbari village under Karichra union in Madarganj with her two children in 2017, and began to take training on how to mend shoes from her cobbler father.

After her father's death in 2022, Babita took up his job and started mending shoes at a roadside shop in front of a market in Madarganj upazila headquarters and never looked back.

But unfortunately, after her father's death Babita's brother grabbed the entire house, depriving Babita from the property.

At present, Babita and her two sons live at the veranda of her brother's house.

Meanwhile, her sister-in-law often tries to drag them out of the house.

The 32-year-old woman, who has been suffering from different physical complications, said, "I escaped from my husband's house in order to save myself from his inhuman torture."

When asked, Babita said she will be so grateful to the government if she gets a house at any of the shelter projects.

Madarganj Upazila Social Service Officer Taufiqul Islam Khalek said he heard about Babita only a few days ago and have a plan to provide her medical and other financial benefits as soon as possible.