Thirty five-year-old Saleha Khatun (pseudonym), works in a buying house in the city and uses public transport for her traveling. But she has bitter experiences during traveling through public transport.
“I don’t feel safe using public transport, be it bus or leguna. There is no security for women on public transport, whether it is in broad daylight or at night. But I am compelled to use it as it is cheaper compared to other modes of transport,” Saleha said.
Narrating her ordeal on public transport, Saleha said she had to suffer torments from bus drivers, conductors or even the person of opposite gender standing behind her in the queue on bus stops. “But there are some time, when I find honest men opposing such harassment strongly, but it is very rare,” she added.
Bangladesh has achieved remarkable successes in socioeconomic sector in the recent past and a huge credit for this goes to the womenfolk of the country. They have showed extraordinary performance in different sectors in the society, coming out of age-old system of housewifery. But they have to suffer a lot in the hands of some crooked minds on the street. BRAC University student Sonia Akter Shila, not real name, lives in Badda area in the capital and goes through a lot of pain and hassle while moving to and from her house to the university campus in Mohakhali area.
“As a girl, I am already on back foot in getting on public transport and the harassment I have to go through on the way, is unbearable sometimes,” Shila said with a little pause.
“More than often I experienced unwanted touch in the crowded bus. Some men also whispered dirty words posing as they are talking on their phones. I also heard blatant comments on my physique on the street, which makes me feel mentally sick sometimes,” she added.
“We the women are getting weak, unsettled from within through such harassment in our daily life. We are losing our motivation to do well, to prosper. This situation needs to be changed,” Shila further said.
Beauty Parlor worker Lota Akter lives in Kalshi area in Mirpur and works in Gulshan and her story is also no different than those of Saleha and Shila.
