Tale of some rural women who emerged as labour force

JHENIDAH, Jan 28: Here is a tale of some rural women who have emerged as labour force.

Angur, Archana, Fahima, Jarina, Razia, Halimon and Sahanara earn their liking by working hard from dawn to dusk.

They leave houses early in the morning and return after sunset. All of them are members of Labour Contracting Society (LCS) under Local Government Engineering Department (LGED). With spade, leveler and other instruments they remain engaged in repairing and maintenance of rural roads. Whenever rural roads is partially damaged on become unfit for movement, Angur, Archana, Jarina or others such women rush there to repair the same. Actually they are the part and parcel in rural life. But all of them are vulnerable. Everybody was married one or two times or more, but their luck did not favour to live happily with their husbands or other family members. At one stage they were compelled to leave the houses and at one stage they became LCS' member.

Angur Khatun, 27, is a member of LCS, working on Sailkupa-Garaganj road. When asked she said that her father Aijuddin Mollah of village Brahimpur in Sailkupa thana arranged her marriage with Abdar Rahman of Beparipara in Jhenidah municipal area at the age of 18. When Angur was carrying, Abdar sent her to her father's house. After giving birth a son she went to Abdar. But she was denied by her husband. In the meantime Abdar allegedly took second wife. Finding no other alternative she started begging here and there. Her brothers then tied her knot with an old man of Manikganj district which could not sustain for a long period. At last she joined as a LCS member with LGED.

Fate of Archana Rani Das, 25, is no different. Her father Sukumar Das of village Chandipur in the same thana arranged her marriage at the age of ten. Then she did not understand what is husband, what is family and what is life as it is now.

When Archana started living with her husband Foni Das at Magura town, Foni allegedly started torturing her. He took wine regularly and injured his wife by blade on parts of her body. Once Foni pushed knife into Archana's belly, but luckily she was saved.

Then she left Magura in a critical stage as she was carrying. Later on she gave birth to a son. Now her son is six years old. Soon after Archana had left Magura, her husband Foni married another girl.

Halimon, 26, is another victim of deprivation. Halimon's father Adiluddin Mollah, who was a day labourer at village Gobindapur in Sailkupa thana. He arranged marriage of Halimon with Jinnah of village Alfapur in the same thana at the age of 15. She had two sisters. Halimon became Jinnah's third wife. When she became pregnant Jinnah allegedly forced her to leave his house and married for the fourth time. Finding no other alternative Halimon left her husband's house. Now she has been residing at her father's house.

Tale of Jarina Khatun, 32, of village Kabirpur in the same thana is nothing new. She was married to Azimuddin, a day labourer at village Gobindapur in Sailkupa thana. After giving birth to a son and a daughter her husband died. Jarina's brothers handed her to another day labourer at the same village. But the fate of Jarina was similar. Her second husband also died. She became hopeless and helpless.

Many LCS members are engaged in maintenance of rural roads.

The roads which were unfit for movement a few years back are now quite fit even in the rainy season. This was because of Angur, Archana, Halimon, Jarina and others. But they are being dishonoured, abhorred sometimes by a group of village landlords or hoodlums. Recently some notorious people of village Baroipara under Sailkupa thana tortured some LCS members physically, alleged some LCS members. But local authorities of LGED did not take any legal step against the criminals.

The LCS members were doing their duty on Sailkupa-Garaganj road at that time.

Regarding social barrier and other issues they said that a section of religious leaders and village landlords discouraged them. But they did not refrain from their work as they believed that females are not less qualified them male in all respect.

To prove this belief they came outside their houses to stand on their own feet.

Talking to this correspondent some LCS members said that they have been earning Taka 750 every month and they deposit Taka two hundred more with their respective bank accounts. With the money they have been maintaining their livelihood.

They also said that the young generation especially school and college going students and non-government organisation activists encourage them as they are engaged in nation building activities.

Safiqur Rahman, Thana Engineer of LGED Sailkupa said that 33 LCS members are involved in his thana who have been contributing to the social development.