School and college going female students have set up a glaring example in eradicating superstition and gender disparity bringing about a social renaissance at Panchagarh villages.
The young girls, mostly from the low-income group rural farmers’ families, have been going to their schools and colleges and coming back homes riding on their bicycles daily setting up the unique example in Panchagarh, reports BSS.
Widely known as ‘bicycle girls’ in the localities, they firmly believe the nation cannot achieve its desired development without mainstreaming the womenfolk with all sorts of socioeconomic and political activities equally with the men at all levels.
The girls said they wanted to become doctors, engineers, army and police officials, bureaucrats, teachers, politicians, scientists, researchers, computer specialists and professionals after having higher education on their journeys to the future.
Accordion to sources in different educational intuitions, over 2,000 female students have now been going to their schools and colleges situated at Boda upazila town alone in Panchagarh by riding on bicycles after coming out from decades-old superstition.
“We have overcome the social barriers, odds, curses and superstition and come out to go to our schools and colleges and come back homes riding on bicycles in groups on the rural kutcha- pucca roads,” said students Monisha, Tithi, Khadija, Seema and Somapti.
Social workers of Panchagarh Zeba Afroza, Swapna Akhter and Shahidul Islam said the 20-km long Boda-Panchpeer road wear a descent look when the bicycle- rider girls cross Mirpara point, just one-kilometer off Boda town daily in the morning and afternoon.
Attired in white and deep green school dresses with school bags on shoulders, the girl students of Boda Pilot Girls’ High School cross the point daily by riding on bicycles twice a day from 8 to 12-kilometer distances.
Most of them belong to the low-income group, small and marginal farmers’ families of Kumarpara, Senpara, Dangapara, Baniapara, Hindu Sarderpara, Mirpara, Sarkerpara, Shomsher Nagar, Pramanik Para and other villages in Boda upazila, they said.
“We want to be educated to build our careers before engaging ourselves in building a medium income digital Bangladesh as envisioned by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” said bicycle riders students of the school Rozina, Parveen, Nupur Rani and Sabina said.
Students Runa Sen, Joba Rani, Sabina, Shantona, Rashida and Jasmine said they do not face disturbance from the eve-teasers for riding bicycles in groups and their parents remain tension- free for their securities on both the ways.
Seema Rani wants to be a doctor, Rozina an engineer while Nuri wants to become an army officer after being inspired by the speeches of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on occasions about ability and equal participation of women in the nation-building process.
Headmaster of Boda Pilot Girls High School Rabiul Alam said over 700 out of about 1,000 girl students of his institution ride on bicycles on their both ways creating a women renaissance in the area as the number continues increasing.
Currently, over 2,000 female students of Boda Pilot Girls’ High School, Boda Mohila College, Pramanikpara High School and Sarderpara Girls’ High School have been going to their institutions riding on bicycles in Boda upazila alone, he added.
Similarly, hundreds of female students are also going to their educational institutions riding on their bicycles in the other four upazilas of Panchagarh with firm determination to become worthy citizens after being educated, Zeba Afroza said.
