Success story of a torture victim woman

Once a victim of brutalities for dowry, Shukria Begum has now become an emblem of success through determination and hard work, winning Joyeeta (Bangla word for winning woman) award from the government's Woman and Children Affairs Department in the district this year.

Shukria, daughter of Shahjahan Sikder and Kohinoor Begum of Moukaran village in Patuakhali Sadar upazila, was married with Shaheen Talukder of nearby Pangashia village in Dumki upazila in 2009.

But Shaheen often tortured Shukria over dowry. On September 25 in 2011, Shaheen severed her right leg with a sharp weapon.

Family members took Shukria to Dhaka where she underwent treatment for six months.

After recovery, she came back to her parents' house but soon she with her mother and school-going brother Shamim Sikder started struggling to be self-reliant as her father left the family and two other brothers went to Dhaka for work.

Villagers collected Tk 40,000 and gave it to Shukria to buy an artificial leg for easy movement.

Later with a sewing machine and cloths worth Tk 16,000 received from NGO Brac, Shukria and her mother Kohinoor Begum, who had experience in sewing, started a tailoring shop at Moukaran Bazar in Patuakhali Sadar upazila.

"Now we have five sewing machines and cloths worth over Tk 1 lakh in the shop. We also employed two female workers here," said Shukria when this correspondent visited her shop on Friday.

"Now I am very happy to be self-reliant. I have plan to extend my shop by setting up an auto-power sewing machine but it is very costly. I want to do something for helpless women who are facing repression in family and society," said Shukria, who had to stop study after Class VIII due to poverty.

Her mother Kohinoor Begum said, "We have to still struggle to run the family as income of the shop situated at the village marker is small. Besides, every two years Shukria needs a new artificial leg that costs Tk 20,000."

Mahmuda Begum, a worker of the shop, said she earns Tk 150 to 250 daily and it serves as a contribution to her poor family.

"Woman and Children Affairs Department honoured Shukria with Joyeeta award this year. She got a crest, a certificate and Tk 10,000 as prize. We sent her name for the national level competition for Joyeeta, to be held in Dhaka soon," said Shahida Begum, district women and children affairs officer in Patuakhali.