Women selling tickets at bus counters is an unusual scene in Bangladesh as this profession is absolutely dominated by males. But four female students seem to have challenged these deep gender prejudices in society.
Helana Chisim, Priyanka Rani, Bristi Mankin, Mousumi Thigidi, Lihina Majhi,Nupor, Nusrat and Bobita Sarker took up the profession of selling bus tickets at Hatirjheel Bus counters proving once again that women are coming out of traditional roles to do all kinds of work.
Helan Chisim, Bristi Mankin started to work from January Priyanka rani and Bobita Sarker started to work from earlier of July Mousumi Thigidi, Lihina Majhi,Nupor and Nusrat started to work in the middle of August.
These women work for eight hours in the morning shift from 7:00am till 3:00pm six days a week and take one day off.
In Hatirjheel area, there are seven ticket counters of the special bus service run by HR Transport Agency. Altogether there are 16 people working at the counters including these eight women.
At first the girls were a little worried about the conservative values that still remain strong in the society but since beginning this job, they have overcame that preliminary fear and are now thriving in their posts.
“Initially, I was hesitant about the job, as most of the people who come here are not very educated and we were not sure of how they would react to us. But I thought of giving it a shot,” said Helena Chisim, a student of Government Titumir College.
Helena, whose hometown is Mymensingh, came to Dhaka in 2010. She said she faced a few problems at the beginning but that did not deter her.
Priyanka Rani, another employee here, is waiting for her HSC results said, “I started working here as I was a bit free after my HSC exams. I thought of using this vacation to earn some money. And this job helps me support my own expenses.”
Alongside their work these girls still have to find out time to do their household chores and studies. Bristi Mankin said their office grants them leave before exams if anyone needs them.
The girls also have the same share of challenges at work that their male colleagues face. They cannot take a lunch break at proper times because of workload at the counters and they have to face bad behaviour from some commuters.
“The other day one commuter scolded me for the delay of the bus and called me a puppet of the company although I had nothing to do with it,” said Helena.
The biggest problem these girls face is the lack of toilet facilities in the Hatirjheel area.
“If we call the office then they send us a car so that we can go to the office premises to use a toilet,” said Bobita.
Besides the tin-made small ticket counters become overheated at noon and they have no fans or other cooling systems inside the counter.
“It is unbearably hot at noon,” said Bobita.
HR Transportation has eight buses that run from 7:00am to 11:00pm every day. The ticket counters at Hatirjheel were set up under their own management.
Asked about sanitation and temperature issues the HR Bus Service Manager Zahangir Alam said, “The high officials of Hatirjheel project authorities promised to set up public toilets in Hatirjheel area soon which will solve the problem.”
He also said the project authorities will also set up permanent ticket counters with all required facilities and their own counters have been set up on a temporary basis.
Zahangir however pointed out that they were aware of the extra security needed for the girls to work here which is why the female students are all given morning shift slots.
Source: The Daily Star
