The school and college going female students have set up a glaring example in eradicating superstition and gender disparity bringing about a social renaissance in the sub-Himalayan 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 during the past five years.
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.
Talking to BSS, the ‘bicycle girls’ said they want 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 decent look when the bicycle girls cross Mirpara point, just one-kilometer off Boda town daily in the morning and afternoon. -BSS, Rangpur
