Goodbye Nurjahan, and Thank You

Nurjahan Begum- the name can be considered synonymous to words like empowerment, valour, courage, kindness and more. The first female editor of the region, who was the editor of the first magazine for women in the region, passed away at the age of 91, on Monday morning.

Her friends and family have expressed their condolences, and the many status updates on Facebook have proved, like many times before, of the persona that this great lady was. 

Begum magazine began a revolution at a time when such a thing, that too for Muslim women, was unimaginable. Nurjahan Begum, daughter of Mohammad Nasiruddin, editor of Sougat Magazine and founder of Begum Magazine, created a platform, for women from all walks of life. 

She extended the opportunity to old writers and new ones. One of the most esteemed writers of the country Selina Hossain wrote for Begum Magazine, "They would publish a photograph alongside the article. Having your photo published on a paper at that time was a big deal for a woman. In the Eid issues, I would publish my write ups. This was around the 60's. Reading my own work and seeing my picture along with it would inspire my, like many others, to writer more." She had inspired women to become writers, journalists, and even gave ideas of empowerment in her magazine on how to make a career out of sewing, cooking and even childcare- skills that were already honed in women of Bangladesh.

Many a status-update had the words, 'helped begin my mother's writing career', 'helped teach my mother about empowerment', 'gave my grandmother courage in those days' floated around facebook as the entire nation grieved the loss of a woman who still continues to inspire women everyday. 

Journalist Dil Monowara Monu, worked at Begum under Nurjahan Begum's guidance for 25 years from 1974, described the editor as a legend. "She and her father taught me that to be a good editor or journalist, one has to be a good human being. Nurjahan apa had the kindest heart I knew of," she says. "Besides publishing the magazine, her main intent was reaching out to rural women, creating awareness among them, bringing them to the path of development and empowerment."

She had paved the path for us women. Me, my boss, my female colleagues that come to the office, out on our own, find our exciting stories and write them down, one after the other, with courage and zeal-- Nurjahan Begum has helped us all become what we are today.

Since 1947 till today, Begum Magazine has been playing a vital role for more than half a century in promoting the cause of women and providing a platform for their literary activities. The day the magazine was first published was the day Nurjahan and her comrades began a revolution and helped further the feminist movement in our country. In her loving memory, let us all, who she has inspired through the ages, join hands and take this movement further and bring ultimate freedom to all the women in our country- as Nurjahan had envisioned. 

May her beautiful, passionate soul rest in peace.