Unit Five: Great Women to Remember

Lesson 1: Begum Rokeya (1)

A

Look at the picture and ask and answer these questions.

1. Who is the woman?
2. What do you know about her?

Read about Begum Rokeya.

Begum Rokeya (1880-1932) was a famous writer and social worker. She lived in undivided Bengal in the early 20th century. She believed that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men in society. So she fought for their cause throughout her life.

Begum Rokeya was born in a village called Pairabondh, Rangpur in 1880. Her father, Jahiruddin Muhammad Abu Ali Haider Saber, was an educated landlord. Rokeya was married to Khan Bahadur Sakhawat Hussain in 1896. Her husband was the Deputy Magistrate of Bhagalpur, now a district in the Indian state of Bihar. He was very cooperative and always encouraged Rokeya to pursue her activities.

Many upper-class Muslims of Bengal at that time learned Arabic and Persian as mediums of education and communication. But Rokeya had a great love for her mother tongue. She learned Bangla and English from her eldest brother Ibrahim.

Tick the correct answer.

1. Begum Rokeya fought for: a. democracy. b. independence. c. women's rights.

2. Rokeya was born in: a. a village. b. a town. c. a slum.

3. Rokeya loved: a. English. b. Bangla. c. Urdu.

4. Shakhawat Hossain’s working place was: a. Pairabandh. b. Bhagalpur. c. Rangpur.

5. Bhagalpur is a district in: a. Bangladesh. b. West Bengal. c. Bihar.

D

Complete the following chart with information from the text. One is done for you.

| Begum Rokeya | |---|---| | Occupation | Writer and social worker | | Born in | | | Married in | | | Family | | | Language | |

Answer these questions.

1. What was Begum Rokeya's belief?
2. What did she fight for?
3. What kind of family did she come from?
4. Why did many upper-class Muslims learn Arabic and Persian at that time?
5. Why did Rokeya learn Bangla and English?