Category: BDFA Blog
-
Syeda Kaniz Fatema Roksana: Dreamer, Trailblazer, and First Female Pilot of Bangladesh
by Ishat Siddiqui Syeda Kaniz Fatema Roksana was born on February 26, 1955, in Old Dhaka’s elite Tara Bagh. Presciently nicknamed Titly (“Butterfly”), Roksana would grow up to fly much higher than her namesake, becoming Bangladesh’s first female pilot. At the time, East Bengal was a strictly conservative society, but Roksana was raised in the…
-
Stuck in Traffic: The Visibility of Hijras in Bangladesh
by Tasmim Jahan Neeha While stuck in Dhaka traffic, you may notice a group of people—perhaps in shiny makeup, colourful clothes, or with a flower tucked into their buns. They might be asking motorists for money or bargaining with roadside vendors. For many, this is the common image of hijras in Bangladesh. Too often, they…
-
Feminism for the 99% in Bangladesh’s Long Present
by Zainab Rahman Chowdhury Book: Feminism for the 99%: A Manifesto (Verso, 2019) Authors: Cinzia Arruzza, Tithi Bhattacharya, Nancy Fraser The book Feminism for the 99%: A Manifesto is incisive and compelling in its call for an anti-capitalist, anti-racist, anti-imperialist, and eco-social feminism. It rejects the narrow goals of liberal feminism, insisting instead on a…
Bangladesh Feminist Archives 