As women have grown more and more empowered to venture into new roles previously off limits to their gender, even the most ultra-conservative societies have been forced to accommodate them. In Bangladesh, rowing boats by women to earn their livelihood is still not a common scene. But Sumitra Rani Das, wife of Suken Das, of village Raghunathpur of Bahara union under remote Shalla upazila is one such woman who sets a distinctive example to maintain her poverty-stricken family just by rowing boat.

She does not have any house, nor even a piece of land and so she is just staying by the side of the river and ferrying people by rowing boat. The UNB Correspondent while crossing river by her boat, Sumitra Das with tears rolling down from her cheeks, said, “My husband at home is old and suffering from respiratory problem...I Had no other option than to take oars to row the boat to maintain the family along with my three daughters.”

“At first, I was embarrassed to row the boat but now I don’t feel uncomfortable to do the job. Despite all this, I managed to marry off one of my daughters. However, she came back after failing to endure husband’s torture. I’m still facing problem with my remaining two daughters,” she further said.

Sumitra finds it difficult to purchase food, clothing and medicines for their three daughters. “Finding no other alternative, I’ve to ferry people in my boat from one side of the river to the other from 6 am to 11 pm every day and in this way I’ve earned my livelihood for the last four years,” she pointed out. There is no such poverty in their locality, Sumitra said adding that “Being a woman, I’ve to row boat as I’ve no financial ability. I’ve no homestead, and so I’m living by building a thatched house on a small piece of government land by the riverside. In this situation, there’s no one to look after me. I heard that the government is building homes for people. But I’ve no house at all. Though they’re aware about my problems, our union chairman and members do not enquire about my welfare.”

On enquiry it was known that the name of Sumitra Rani is not there on the list of beneficiaries of the government’s ‘Asrayan’ project.

Bidhan Chandra Chowdhury, number 3 Bahara UP chairman, told UNB that he is extending all kinds of humanitarian assistance whenever she comes to him. Advocate Dipu Ranjan Das, the Upazila Vice Chairman, said, “I think Sumitra Rani Das of Raghunathpur has proved that there is no difference of capability between men and women when it comes to struggle for life. I’ll go to the house of the woman and will try my best to help her out.”