Begum Rokeya: Sultana’s Dream-2

“ yes, very much; but I do not like to tread on the tender and sweet flowers.”

“ Never mind, dear Sultana; Your treading will not harm them; they are street flowers.”

“The whole place looks like a garden,” said I admiringly. “ You have arranged every plant so skilfully”.

“ Your Calcutta could become a nicer garden than this, if only your countrymen wanted to make it so.”

“ They would think it useless to give so much attention to horticulture, while they have so many other things to do.”

“ They could not find a better excuse”, said she with smile.

I became very curious to know where the men were. I met more than a hundred women while walking there, but not a single man.

“Where are the men?” I asked her.

“In their proper places, where they ought to be.”

“Pray let me Know what you mean by their proper places.”

“O, I see my mistake, you cannot know our customs, as you were never here before. We shut our men indoors.”

“ Just as we are kept in the zenana?”

“Exactly so.”

“How funny,” I burst into a laugh. Sister Sara laughed too.

“But dear Sultana, how unfair it is to shut in the harmless women and let loose the men.”

“Why? It is not safe for us to come out of the zenana, as we are naturally weak.”

“Yes, it is not safe so long as there are men about the streets, nor is it so when a wild animal enters a marketplace.”

“Of course not.”

“ Suppose, some lunatics escape from the asylum and begin to do all sorts of mischief to men, horses and other creatures, in that case what will your countrymen do?”

“ They will try to capture them and put them back into their asylum.”

“Thank you! And you do not think it wise to keep sane people inside an asylum and let lose the insane?”

“Of course not!” said I laughing lightly.

“As a matter of fact, in your country this very thin is done! Men, who do or at least are capable of doing no end of mischief, are let loose and the innocent women shut up in the zenana! How can you trust those untrained men out of doors?”

“ We have no hand or voice in the management of our social affairs. In India man is lord and master. He has taken to himself all powers and privileges and shut up the women in the zenana.”

“Why do you allow yourselves to be shut up?”

“Because it cannot be helped as they are stronger than women”

“A lion is stronger than a man, but it does not enable him to dominate the human race. Your have neglected the duty you owe to yourselves and you have lost your natural rights by shutting your eyes to your own interests.”

Purnima’s newly released Cinema 'Kkamotar Gorom'

After long time absence from bangle cinema, Purnima again start her acting career with ‘Kkamotar Gorom’. The cinema released at 13 July in Dhaka Film Industry. PA Kajol directed, Manna and Purnima acted this bangla cinema has showed a good profit for the cinema hall authorities. The audiences also accept Purnina and her acted cinema with positive view.

After her private problem mainly her marriage problem, the audiences became fade out. But her newly released cinema has brought more business profit. All are thinking that this success will turn Purnima’s future too.

Begum Rokeya: Sultana’s Dream

One evening I was lounging in an easy chair in my bed-room and thinking lazily of the condition of Indian womanhood. I am not sure whether I dozed off or not. But, as far as I remember, I was wide awake; I saw the moonlit sky sparking with thousands of diamond-like stars, very distinctly.

All on a sudden a lady stood before me; how she came in, I do not know. I took her for my friend, Sister Sara.

“Good morning”, said Sister Sara. I smiled inwardly as I knew it was not morning, but starry night. However, I replied to her, saying, “How do you do?”

“I am all right, thank you. Will you please come out and have a look at our garden?”

I looked again at the moon through the open window, and thought there was no harm in going out at that time. The menservants outside were fast asleep just then, and I could have a pleasant walk with Sister Sara.

I used to have my walks with sister Sara, when we were at Darjeeling. Many a time did we walk hand in hand and talk lightheartedly in the Botanical gardens there. I fancied, Sister Sara had probably come to take me to some such garden, and I readily accepted her offer and went out with her.

When walking I found to my surprise that it was a fine morning. The town was fully awake and the streets alive with bustling crowds. I was feeling very shy, thinking I was walking in the street in broad daylight, but there was not a single man visible.

Some of the passers-by made jokes at me. Though I could not understand their language, yet I felt sure they were joking. I asked my friend, “What do they say?”

“The woman says that you look very mannish.”

“Mannish?” said I, “What do they mean by that?”

They mean that you are shy and timid like men.”

“Shy and timid like men?” It was really a joke. I became very nervous, when I found that companion was not Sister Sara, but a stranger, Oh, what a fool had I been to mistake this lady for my dear old friends, Stster Sara.

She felt my fingers tremble in her hand, as we were walking hand in hand.

“What is the matter, dear, dear?” She said affectionately.

“ I feel somewhat awkward”, I said in a rather apologising tone, “as being a purdahnishin woman I am not accustomed to walking about unveiled.”

“You need not be afraid of coming across man here. This is Ladyland, free from sin and harm. Virtue herself reigns here.”

By and by I was enjoying the scenery. Really it was very grand. I mistook a patch of green grass for velvet cushion. Feeling as if I were walking on a soft carpet, I looked down and found the path covered with moss and flowers.

“How nice it is”, said I.

“Do you like it?” asked sister Sara. (I continued calling her “ Sister Sara,” and she kept calling me by name.)

to be continue

The Flood of Bangladesh and My Experiences

BBC has arranged ‘Bangladesh Sanglapa’ on 5 August 2007 at Bangladesh China Friendship Conference. In that discussion the first question was about Bangladeshi flood. All the audiences discussed more than 15 minuets. The authority invited the guests who were from the different political parties, cultural person and climatologist. The first question was from an audience, ‘Why the political leaders are not going to help the flood affected peoples.’ The guests answered according to their capability and were try to show their bindings to help flood affected peoples. Anyway, I have question on their opinions.

Dear readers, I keen to inform you about my experiences on flood which was 1987, 1988 and 1998.

In 1987, I was the student of class five a 10 years old boy. It was the first flood. In that time we lived in stage which was made by bamboo. We had to move one places to another by boat. We had no problem because the villagers had a good habit to move by boat. Both male and female knows how to swim and how to drive boat. I can remember clear that our tube-well went under water and we had go to collect water everyday 2km away form our home.

The flood of 1988 was terrible. The water level was so high that we had not opportunity to live in our house because the water level was nearly hour house roof. So we had to take shelter near the dam which was completed recent year. Not only we but also all of our villagers took their shelter on that dam.

At that time the miserable experiences was that people who were inside the dam. I am saying the miserable experiences because their house went under water when they all slept. The area we live is beside the river and outside the dam. So, in the area we lived the water level raised slowly and it took more than 5days. The poor people basically who are day labor had no work. They lead their life by the help of relief. Our father helped two families whole month by giving food.

For the dam, the water level was more than 600cm differences between the two sides. We took our shelter on the dam and the peoples who was inside laughed at us. I can remember clear that the water raised more than 200cm in a day. At that night, the dam was broken by the force of water and they did not get time to take themselves shelter. For this many people and cattle died. It took nearly one month to reduce the water from our areas.

In 1998, whole Bangladesh was affected by flood. I just have finished my higher education and lived on our local town. I had some experience about flood. But the town people had no experiences how to save themselves from flood. Many people took shelter on different schools and colleges who came form the different villages. My village homes went under water too. That time we had to take shelter on that dam too.

I think, it is not time to quarrel and not to show the excuse. Just help the flood affected people according to one’s capabilities. I had no desire to express my experiences. But the ‘Bangladesh Sanglapa’ bound me to describe it.

Model and Actess Opi Karim is going to Marry

Model and Actess Opi Karim is going to marriage on 18 August. Dear readers, I am not sure but in media it is the talk of the time. The audiences are also waiting for the actual news. They are also thinking who will be that person is suitable for Opi Karim. Someone thinking the Efitkha Ahmed Ifti may be that man who is going to become her next life partner.

But Opi Karin directly negatives it that she will never married Efitkha Ahmed Ifti of any media man. She will be married with her family approval. She assure some of the media that she will get married with in five month.

So dear readrs you have to wait for that day when yours beloved Opi Karim will get married. I think she will invite all.

Tanveen Sweety’s Evolvement in Bangla Cinema

Model, actress Tanveen Sweety first came to contact with bangle cinema by the film ‘Bachelor’. In that film she was as guest actress. She is evolved with bangle cinema by ‘Banshi’ (Flute).

In the cinema ‘Banshi’ she named as Shaila who is a simple village girl but she grew in the town upbringing. One day she went to village and came to contact with village background and totally set with this atmosphere.

About this story Tanveen Sweety convey her attitude that this story impressed me so much and when the director Abu Saeed offered me I did not show any hesitate.

Tanveen Sweety and her First Movie ‘Banshi’(Flute)

Abu Saeed directed film long film ‘Banshi’ (flute) is the first Bangla Cinema of Tanvin Sweety. The film is full of rural community surroundings. Before release the movie achieve a prize from Switzerland. Tanvin Sweety is very happy and hopes that this film will please the audiences of Bangladesh.

Before acting the movie ‘Banshi’ (flute) Sweety did not act any drama. She took the work seriously and tries to act best heart and soul. She took is as challenge because she thinks that an actor or actress can only remind themselves by acting in cinema only.