Write a paragraph on 'Begum Rokeya' in 150 words by answering the following questions.

(a) Who was Begum Rokeya? Who did she work for? (b) When and where was she born? When did she die? (c) What happened after her marriage? (d) What are her prominent works? (e) How did she help women?

Begum Rokeya

The famous writer and social worker, Begum Rokeya, worked throughout her life for women's rights, especially for their right to education. She believed that women should have same opportunities as men. This great woman was born in Pairabondh village of Rangpur in 1880. She came from an educated Muslim family. Her father was a landlord. Since childhood, she had a yearning for learning. She had a great affection for her mother tongue Bangla. She also wanted to learn English because of its enriched literature. So, her eldest brother taught her Bangla and English. Her marriage in 1896 didn't stop her from learning. Her husband Khan Bahadur Sakhawat Hussain was very cooperative, and always encouraged her. After her husband's death in 1909, she set up a girls' school in her husband's name in Bhagalpur for promoting female education. Later, she moved it to Kolkata. Besides running a school, she wrote some short stories and novels. 'Sultana's Dream', 'Padmarag', 'Pipasa', etc are her prominent works. Through her work and writings, she tried to make the women folk conscious of their rights. Today, so many women are seen working in every sector because of Begum Rokeya. She died in 1932. We still remember her with great respect.