BRAC Bank Reading Cafés explore strong women in two key Bangla literary works ‘Astadoshi’ and ‘Surja Dighal Bari’2 min read
BRAC Bank Reading Café of Chattogram has engaged in an analytical discussion of Harishankar Jaladas’ book Astadoshi, while the Chuadanga chapter read Abu Ishaque’s masterpiece Surja Dighal Bari as stated in press release.
Both books portrayed the character of indomitable women in Bangladesh society.
In Chattogram, the discussants chose the key literary work of Harishankar Jaladas, who is known for sketching the lives of society’s downtrodden, including fishermen and untouchables.
At the session on September 30, 2024, the author’s presence ignited an interactive discussion, engaging the members in a critical and analytical exploration of the unique characters of the book’s protagonists. The author also actively engaged with the participants, responding to their questions and enriching the discussion.
People’s curiosity and mockery about women, the bias of destiny, the one-sided rules of society, and the betrayal of loved ones are highlighted in ‘Ashtadoshi’. With his captivating power of writing, the writer, through 18 short stories, depicted love, protest, revenge, and tolerance of women in society. Each story revolved around a unique female character in society, making the discussants soul-search for resemblance.
While reading ‘Surja Dighal Bari’ on October 15, 2024, BRAC Bank’s Chuadanga coworkers were compelled by the bravery of the main character, Jaigun, a divorcee and a single mother who confronts numerous obstacles to living a normal life in a typical Bangladeshi village laden with superstitious beliefs, social stigma, and a flawed judicial system.
‘Surja Dighal Bari’ is a novel that traces the heroine’s journey in overcoming her adversities and paints a vivid picture of Bengali rural life, perfectly capturing the turbulent times during the famine of 1943 and the Partition of India.
The bank’s MD&CEO Selim R.F. Hussain commented: “At BRAC Bank, we believe that group reading and discourse foster a culture of learning and critical thinking and enhance the sense of camaraderie among our coworkers. Literature opens doors to diverse perspectives and life lessons invaluable to personal and professional growth. I am happy to see literary initiative spreading and inspiring more colleagues nationwide.”
The members of Chattogram Reading Café are eagerly looking forward to the literary exploration of Shawkat Osman’s masterpiece “Kritadasher Hashi’’ and Chuadanga readers of Mainul Ahsan Saber’s ‘Kobej Lethel’.
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