Maybe you saw the photo on Facebook today, maybe you did not.
A pair of women on a scooter - the picture speaks volumes about empowerment. The women are not riding on the backseat with their arms wrapped around their “husband/boyfriend’s” waist or on their shoulders.
The photo perhaps captures Bangladesh in its flight for the future.
A woman is driving the scooter herself. The passenger she carries perhaps feels butterflies in her stomach, perhaps they both feel a gleam of pride. Perhaps they wear a shadow of a smile as they ride on.
The scooter is not just another fuel-guzzling, environment-polluting contraption. It is an electric scooter.
Women’s empowerment and environmental awareness – these are two major issues that are among the cornerstones of discourses in Bangladesh today.
In 2017 Anno Domini, we stand on the cusp of the 1424 Bangla year, and as we bid farewell to the decaying, shrivelled husk of yesteryear, we spread our arms wide open to embrace the New Year that is perhaps a step towards freedom for all.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
