Nilima Jahan

Hazera Begum never got married or had any biological children. Yet, she is the “ammu” (mother) to 40 children, who once struggled for their identities, for what their biological mothers do for a living.

Back in 2017, a baseline survey conducted by Kapasia Upazila Family Planning Office (UFPO), Gazipur found that more than 90 percent of the mothers-to-be of the subdistrict were unaware of the maternal and neonatal danger signs, the idea and importance of antenatal and postnatal care or keeping their medical records during pregnancies, the importance of knowing their own blood groups, and keeping contact of potential blood donors or an ambulance.

After her husband lost his job at a pharmacy in 2017, Leuza Akter Kristy’s family plunged into a struggle to put food on the table.

Last month, when 22-year-old Mitu Dhar was struggling to make her newborn stop crying at a private hospital in Dhaka, as she couldn’t produce enough milk for him, her family members got desperate to get some artificial milk for the baby.

Eighteen-year-old Falguni (not her real name) is the eldest of 40 siblings. After passing her HSC exams with a GPA of 4.08, she has made her “ammu” immensely proud.

Hazera, the mother of 40 children, has been proud of her oldest daughter who recently passed the HSC exam, and now dreams of doing something big and leading a life full of dignity.

A recent study on the prevalence of Hepatitis B and C virus among the Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar has found that more than one in five Rohingya adults have Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

While covering a discussion on domestic violence last year, like many others in the audience, I was deeply touched by Rahela’s story of helplessness.

Rights activists have long been demanding effective gender sensitivity training for judges and lawyers dealing with cases of sexual violence so the victims, especially rape survivors, are treated with gender responsiveness and sensitivity throughout the legal process.

Fahima Begum, a 40-year-old domestic worker from Mirpur’s Kazipara area, was desperately running to print and photocopy shops in her area over two days in order to apply for the birth certificate of her five-year-old daughter Sathi.

In low and middle-income countries, many children die every year by drowning, usually when the parents are occupied with household chores or wage-earning activities.

Nine-year-old Jeba (not her real name) has been having a very difficult time with excessive genital bleeding and pain, which has limited her ability to walk.

Worldwide, young women and girls with disabilities face up to 10 times more violence than women and girls without disabilities, and Bangladesh is no exception.

Twenty-five-year-old Rima Rani Paul is currently in her eight month of pregnancy. When she visited the doctor recently, she was recommended a balanced diet, rich in nutrient-dense foods, as the fetus was not growing as expected.

Mohammad Harun, a sales executive at a ceramic store, was pleasantly surprised to see a handwashing station at the entrance to his office this July.

“It makes me so angry when I see the man who raped my 13-year-old daughter with disabilities proudly roaming around the neighborhood, saying, ‘What’s so wrong with raping a retard? She’s a reject any way!’” lamented a frustrated Mujtoba Ali*, a construction worker in Bogura.

Even though rape laws were amended last year to allow for the death penalty, a total of 813 girl children were subjected to rape, of whom 110 were subjected to gang rape in the first eight months of this year, revealed a report.

On July 11, three under-five children drowned in two unions of Netrakona’s Kalmakanda upazila. The incident, however, was not highlighted in the media, as child drowning still remains one of the neglected and underreported issues in Bangladesh.

Getting tested and vaccinated for Covid-19 was no less than a trauma for Tanisha Yasmin Chaity, a young transwoman and a development worker based in Cox’s Bazar.

30-year-old Mugdha* a transgender woman of Rajshahi, still depends on traditional healers or dispensaries when she feels unwell, considering the disparities she faces at hospitals.