NSU Live: International Women’s Day was observed by the Department of English Modern Languages, North South University and the NSU Communication Club on the 29th of March 2022. Tilted, “Still I Rise: Expressions and Experiences”, the program included a panel discussion and a cultural event featuring poems, songs, satirical skits and an art display.

The opening ceremony was graced by the Pro-VC of NSU Professor Dr. M. Ismail Hossain who expressed his dismay at the discrimination women regularly face in Bangladesh. The event also included the presence of the Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof. Dr. Abdur Rob Khan, Dean of SEPS Prof. Dr. Javed Bari, Chairperson of DEML Dr. AQMA Rahman Bhuiyan, Professors Dr. Deena P. Forkan, and Dr. Shireen Huq along with M. Shakhaowat Hossain, Senior Lecturer, DEML.
Arranged by Dr. Nazia Manzoor, Assistant Professor, DEML and Ms. Musharrat Hossain, Senior Lecturer, DEML, the event began with a fruitful panel discussion involving both aforementioned faculty members and students including Efrita Jahan Chowdhury, Sakif Mahmud Sobhani, Aumia Haque and Aysha Ahmed. The panel consisting of members of different ages, genders, and positions led to an intriguing discussion on many issues including the challenges faced by women in the past decades in comparison to the challenges faced by women today. The panel also elaborated on the role men’s privilege plays in enabling a life devoid of the barriers women face and how such barriers end up negatively impacting men.

The discussion painted a broad picture for the audience to both understand the struggles faced by women while learning of possible ways one can ensure the future is better.

Following the question-and-answer session at the end of the discussion, a cultural event took place and included various songs such as Rabindranath Thakur’s “Ekla Cholo” and Vance Joy’s “Riptide”; poems written by students shedding lights on experiences both personal and universal; and satirical skits displaying the overrepresentation of unintentionally problematic representatives of women’s rights.

The running of the program was made possible through the work of student organizers, coordinators, and volunteers.

On 8th March, International Women’s Day is observed worldwide. As in-person classes were suspended due to the pandemic, the university celebrated on the 29th of March.

Dhaka, 5 April (campuslive24.com)//bic