Inherited Gumption

When she was just a child, her father used to frequently say, "My daughter is going to grow up to be a barrister one day!" Hearing her fathers words with such a proud smile on his face, Rimi Nahrin began dreaming the same dream. "While my father gave me a dream worth dreaming, my mother did everything in her power to make it come true," she says.

While in Rifles Public School and College, Rimi aced not only her academics but also extra-curricular activities. "My mother made sure I was a part of a lot of things. Even if I'd come last, she wouldn't mind, as long as I'd complete the task confidently. This is how she nurtured my character and made me a headstrong woman." 

While Rimi was finishing school and college, she was actively involved in National Level Debating, coming in as the best speaker often. After completing her SSC and HSC, she enrolled herself in Dhaka University's Law Department. "You only hear stories about how rigorously you have to study in DU. But it didn't hamper my confidence at all. I just told myself that if I work hard enough, I can do it!" During the 4th year of her LLB, she stood out as the best trainee lawyer during a moot court where only the best students were allowed to participate. 

In 2001, she started her LLM and graduated 1st class 1st with a gold medal which she dedicated to her parents. "Once I was done studying Bangladeshi Law, I travelled to the United Kingdom to study English Law," she says, "I attended University of London for an LLB in English Law, after which I enrolled myself into City University, London, for the Bar Professional Training Course, the same school attended by great people like Tony Blair and Margaret Thatcher. Just being able to study and grow in the same environment as them gave me more inspiration than I could hope for." She is also a member of Lincoln's Inn, one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar.

While in the UK, Rimi also started working for BBC Bangla as a freelance journalist. Even after coming back to Bangladesh, she is still with BBC Bangla. "Even though this is a freelance job, I haven't left it. Journalism is not only a exciting job; it also helps me nurture my skills as a lawyer as it makes me more aware of global affairs."

Now she currently works for the High Court but also has bigger aims for the betterment of society. "I am a frequent traveller and one thing that frightens me a lot is the rate of road accidents in our country," shares Rimi. She informs that despite the fact that cases are lodged in nearby police stations after accidents, in many incidents, especially where a member of lower socio-economic class is the victim, the case goes not much further because of the expenses. "I want to form an association of lawyers who will give free legal aid to those affected by road accidents, which will ensure that the expenditure of the whole case and whatever compensation is needed comes from the criminal in question- the driver of the vehicle," she says. Along with this, Rimi thinks re-educating public transport and inter-intra city transport drivers is necessary. "We need to build awareness. These drivers need to know the laws of the work they do and that such reckless driving can put them in trouble. We also need the general public to know these laws," she says.

"It is a little difficult as a woman, at any job, to be taken seriously. I lose many clients because they think I'm not strong enough to defend them," she says, "But the only way to overcome this is to keep working hard and showing everyone that women are no less, in any manner, than men." Once such problems are conquered and put aside, we can see Rimi Nahrin bringing some very significant changes to our nation. She made her parents proud by making their dreams come true, and now we can see her taking on the nation's dreams too!