Begum Rokeya came with a message of light in the dark world of women of Bengali Muslim society. At the root of all her actions was the dream of women's liberation. In carrying out this dream, she picked up the pen on the one hand, and showed women the search for a new path on the other. That is why she is still known as the 'pioneer of women's awakening'.
Birth and childhood
Begum Rokeya was born on 9 December 180 in a zamindar family of Payraband village of Mithapukur police station in Rangpur district. Begum Rokeya's family name is Rokeya Khatun. His father's name was Zahiruddin Muhammad Abu Ali Saber and his mother's name was Rahatunnesa. When Begum Rokeya was born, their zamindari was in a state of decline. Yet he spent his childhood under strict veil and siege according to the then Muslim zamindari system. In his own words, "unmarried girls are not seen by any woman except very close relatives and housemaids." Begum Rokeya grew up in such a strict veil system.
Education
Like many great people in the world, Begum Rokeya could not get formal education. He became self-educated with his strong interest and the help of some people. That is why at the beginning of Sakhawat Memorial School, he had no idea about the teaching of the school. In the words of Samsunnahar Mahmud: "When Rokeya set up a girls' school with the first five students, she did not think how a teacher could teach five girls at the same time." However, he gained a thorough knowledge of Bengali, English, Urdu, Persian and other languages. We find its identity in his literature.
Source of inspiration in life
In the Muslim society where Begum Rokeya grew up, knowledge of ‘Koran Sharif like a pheasant’, knowledge of prayers, fasting and religious ceremonies was prevalent as female education. Besides being able to write letters to her husband or close relatives, her ability to read a couple of Urdu-Persian manuscripts was limited to sewing, cooking, etc. At that time Bengali education for girls was very much forbidden. But even in such a society, Begum Rokeya's elder sister Karimunnesa read a little Bengali and also wrote several poems under a pseudonym. Karimunnesa's education inspired Begum Rokeya. With the help of his elder brother Ibrahim Saber, he learned to hate superstition from childhood and learned. After marriage, her husband Sakhawat Hossain also inspired her in this regard.
Married life
Begum Rokeya was married to Urdu speaking Syed Sakhawat Hossain. At the time of their marriage, Begum Rokeya was 18 years old and Sakhawat Hossain was 36 years old. Sakhawat Hossain married her after the death of his first wife. As a person, Sakhawat Hossain was a liberal, tasteful, self-respecting and anti-superstitious man. She was also a supporter of women's education. That is why he encouraged Begum Rokeya to learn English. Even before his death in 1909, he paid ten thousand rupees for the education of girls. Begum Rokeya was childless. She had two daughters. But they died prematurely.
Obstacles in the practice of Bengali language
Begum Rokeya kept the Bengali language alive in the strong adverse current of Urdu. Her husband and parents were all against the Bengali language. But in the meantime he continued to practice the Bengali language. She also took a vow to teach Bengali to her husband Sakhawat Hossain. The description of the desperate struggle he had to continue to practice the Bengali language is contained in the dedication letter to Karimunnesa in the second volume of the book 'Matichur'.
Practice of English language
Although Begum Rokeya was not educated in school, she had a good command of English language. His writing is proof of Wolfwatro, Sultana's Dream. Letters written in English to famous people also bear witness to this.
Literary work
Begum Rokeya was the first notable writer in the modern awakening Bengali Muslim society. In the field of literature she was known as Mrs. R. S. Hossain. His first published work was Pipasa. It was first published in 1901 in Navprabha. Besides, his various writings were published in Nabnur, Saugat, Mohammadi etc. The number of his books is five. These are- Matichur (first volume), Sultana's dream, Matichur (second volume), Padmarag and Abrodhabasini. In addition, some more writings and letters have been found through various studies recently.
Final Journey
Begum Rokeya died on 9 December 1932 at the age of 52 due to sudden cardiac arrest. Until eleven o'clock the night before her death, she was busy writing an article called "Women's Rights." He was buried in the family cemetery at Sodpur in the 24 Parganas district near Kolkata. In her memory, two rallies were held first at the Albert Hall (now a coffee house) in Calcutta and later at the Sakhawat Memorial Girls' School. Hindus and Muslims joined the mourning procession at the same time. In a speech there, Syed Emdad Ali said, "I do not know of any Muslim man in Bengal who has paid such homage to his memory today."
The emergence of Begum Rokeya as a pioneer of women's liberation in Bengali Muslim society is truly astonishing. Because till her death she struggled for the liberation of women, for the sake of women's education. Begum Rokeya has contributed a lot to the modern education that the present women society is able to get. That is why he was ranked sixth in the list of the best Bengalis of all time in the 2004 BBC survey. Therefore, in the words of Abul Hussain, it can be said, "Why is a thinking woman like her really a woman, the bride of the glory of the entire human race."
