Indomitable: mother of 4 from marginalised community becomes law graduate

Born in the marginalised Robi Das community, where most members are cobblers by profession, she could not escape the curse of early marriage. Yet, she fought her way to earning an LLB degree while juggling work and the responsibility of maintaining her five-member family. 

"As a community, we never get any respect," said Nelima, referring to the social stigma faced by the Robi Das community.

"To gain a social standing, there is no alternative to education," she asserted.

The path to obtaining the law degree was not easy for the mother of four.

After she was married off to Proan Robi Das of Manikganj town in 1991 at the age of 12, she had to quit school because of pressures from her in-laws.

"They would not let me go to school wearing the uniform and insisted that I wear a saree. My school, on the other hand, did not allow any other attire except the uniform, so I had to drop out."

Then, astute Nelima found a way to continue her education. Using tutoring as an excuse to get out of the house, she got admitted to Open University and completed her secondary education.

"My family found out about my studies only when my SSC [Secondary School Certificate] result came out in 2004."

By then, she was a mother of three and needed money not just for her own education but also her children's. 

In 2007, she got a full-time teaching job at a non-government organisation on a salary of Tk 2,500. The same year, she gave birth to her daughter, Mou Das.

All these responsibilities did not stop Nelima from earning her Higher Secondary Certificate in 2009 and the Bachelor of Arts degree in 2013.

Finally, she completed the LLB course from the Khondaker Nurul Hossain Law College in Manikganj in 2018.

"I want to be a lawyer because I wish to provide people with legal aid to fight discrimination," said Nelima, who is also making sure that her daughter and three sons receive proper education.

Despite poverty and lack of family support, she never stopped her children's schooling.

Her eldest son Biplob Das Bappi is currently preparing for the Bachelor of Arts examination, which he missed in 2016 because of financial distress. 

Her second son Pallab Das Niloy is studying civil engineering at Manikganj Technical School and College, while the third son Pranto Das Prem and daughter Mou are studying at the tenth and seventh grades.

"I want my children to live a dignified life."

Nelima is particularly keen about Mou's education because she does not want her daughter to face the same fate, she had endured.

"I have been subjected to scorn and neglect because of my dark skin. My daughter also has the same skin tone. I want her to be established and independent.

"Mou got GPA-5 in the PSC exams. She wants to become a doctor."

Nelima is currently working as a doctor's assistant at a clinic in Manikganj. She lost her job at the non-government organisation after its project ended in 2018.

She is also doing an apprenticeship under senior lawyer Abdur Rashid at Manikganj Judge Court every Sunday.

In 2018, Deputy Commissioner of Manikganj SM Ferdous honoured Nelima's perseverance with the government's Joyeeta award.