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IN MEMORIAM

As I saw Ivy Rahman

AYESHA KHANAM
I first saw Ivy Rahman in 1966/1967 at Eden College as a student. Though I had my graduation course in Dhaka University but I was involved with student movement and had some organisational responsibilities to look after in some girls colleges and schools. There I also met Sheikh Hasina, present leader of the opposition in the Parliament besides Ivy Rahman, the then Student League top woman leader and some others. I belonged to Student Union. Two organisations had always their competition in winning the student cabinet in college students union. Both of us were very active in the students' movement.
Later on during 1968-69 students' mass upsurge, 1970-historic national election, 1971-liberation war, and thereafter Ivy was involved in Awami League women's section and I in the women's movement.
Ivy Rahman was a classmate of one of my very close friends, Jebunnisa Monju from Netrokona. So in that way she happened to be a friend of my friend. So a good relationship developed with her beyond the organisational one. Since 1967 till that fateful 21 August 2004, during this long 37 years we developed also a good working relationship which turned into a personal relationship which was full of friendship, debate, discussion, agitation.
In 1974 Zillur Rahman was the General Secretary of Awami League. He was sick and for treatment he was in Moscow. I was visiting Moscow after attending WIDF's council meeting. We were in the same hotel and we returned in the same plane. Ivy and I had a long time to talk about some of women's issues in Bangladesh, about her very early marriage, of unpreparedness for adopting many things, Zillur Rahman's full cooperation as a husband in getting her higher education etc.
After 1975, this country had a hard time, specially the Awami League leaders and their families. Ivy had to face that. From 1975 to 1990 Ivy was in the first rank facing struggle, uncertainty in her personal life, organising movement, mobilising mass women under the banner of Awami League.
After 1990 I found a new Ivy. I found a basic change in her attitude and behaviour pattern. She was becoming more and more a down to earth person and it continued during the time between 1996-2000, when Awami League was in power. She came out as a very good organiser in holding the workshop for highly discussed Family Law Reform. She had to contact 45 organisations. Though there was a guidance and advice from the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina but in practice it was Ivy Rahman who had to organise the whole thing. At that time I really found a new Ivy Rahman, very calm and quiet, ready to accept any criticism from any side and, ready to endorse it in the main draft-document.
At that time she was incharge of Jatiya Mahila Sangstha. In the beginning Jatiya Mahila Sangstha office was in Segunbagicha, very near to Bangladesh Mahila Parishad office. We spent many an evening in her office in preparing draft document of the Bill of Women and Child Repression Act- 2000 with Advocate Gaziul Haque and others. We 10-12 women activists spent many hours in her office. She was so cordial and as a host she was taking care of us in every matter. She was looking after every body's food, transport and other things. During this time I had an opportunity to talk with her about others issues of women's movement, issues of gender equality, issues of patriarchal culture, which is a main obstacle in women's empowerment. We agreed on every issue.
During the time of drafting Family Law-Reform document Ivy stood always by the side of women's move- ment. History of women's movement and our lives and practical experiences tell us that gender equality issues have always been very critical issues because these always go against tides. We had many critical remarks and comments on the primary draft, Ivy was always with us. When it was necessary she was even critic of her own party government's stand. At the time I found Ivy as very consistent, committed to gender equality issues.
Many of us know that, women's movement in Bangladesh engaged in a continuous struggle for equal participation in Parliament. Women's movement has a demand for introducing direct election and increasing the number of reserved seats in the Parliament. In this movement Ivy was very active and very strong supporter. She was maintaining liaison between her party Awami League and us. She always actively cooperated with women's movement without party barrier. Last 10 years of her life made her more rich in knowledge about gender issues. She had gathered many practical knowledge about the inferior status of women in a male dominated, patriarchal political culture. She highly valued the role of women's movement in Bangladesh. She had a great respect for Poet Sufia Kamal. Last June 2004 Ivy and we had our last programme. We met her and we stood for more than one hour in a human chain in demand for changing the present Government Bill which was again going for indirect election of women in the Parliament.
We have been passing through a very critical time in our life and at that time when we need a strong partner like Ivy, unfortunately we miss her forever. But we will remember her beautiful and confident face throughout our life.
I met hundreds of women workers and wives of political leaders in the 60's who ultimately became inactive and lost their activist's role after getting power and affluence. Ivy was an exception. Ivy Rahman remained a political and women's right activist till the last breath of her life. To me it is the main strength of her character. That's why I respect her. She will remain in our mind ever after.
Ayesha Khanam is general secretary, Bangladesh Mohila Parishad.