U2 pays tribute to Begum Rokeya

Netizens have been really excited about U2’s recent concert in Singapore, as photos of the band paying tribute to Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain and legendary women of all generations, are making the rounds on various social media platforms. 

As a part of the band’s The Joshua Tree tour, U2 performed in the National Stadium in Singapore on December 1 in their first visit to South East Asia. During that concert, U2 displayed photo of Begum Rokeya along with other legendary women. 

Popular drummer of the country Dio Haque (Nemesis, Indalo) attended the concert with his friends and family He told us: “It was a great experience and when they displayed photos of Begum Rokeya on screen, it was a goosebumps moment.

“While performing Ultraviolet they paid tribute to all trailblazing women of the world and Begum Rokeya was one of them.”

In 2017, U2 introduced a segment in their shows, HerStory, featuring women icons from all over the world on screen. 

The visual piece, HerStory, was developed by Alice Wroe. From Maya Angelou to Patti Smith, and from Begum Rokeya to Michelle Obama have been featured in the HerStory segment of any U2 concert since 2017. 

The women, who fought for equality, were pioneers in politics and science, are usually featured during U2 shows.

Begum Rokeya Shakhawat Hossain commonly known as Begum Rokeya was a feminist thinker and educator. Born on December 9 in 1880, she was ahead of her time.

Rokeya established the first school for Bengali Muslim women in Kolkata. Later, she created the Muslim Women's Association to support women's education and employment causes. Rokeya believed firmly in narrowing the gap in opportunities for men and women, and dedicated her entire life to the cause.

In 2004, Rokeya was ranked number 6 in BBC's poll of the Greatest Bengali of all time.