Roquia Sakhawat Hussain biography, free book download

Roquiah Sakhawat Hossain (commonly Begum Rokeya) is remembered for the role in of women's movement in Bangladesh, moreover litterateur, educationist and harbinger of Muslim women's awakening and emancipation. She was born on 1880,9th December in the village of Pairabondh, Rangpur (Bangladesh) and died on 1932,9th Dec in Calcutta. Her father, Jahiruddin Muhammad Abu Ali Haidar was a highly educated landlord and Rahatunnesa Chowdhury was her mother. She had two sisters named Karimunnesa Khatun, Humayra Khatun, and three brothers (one of them died in childhood) named Mohammad Ibrahim Abul Asad Saber and Abu Zaigam Khalilur Rahman Saber. Ibrahim was her eldest. Ibrahim taught English and Bangla to Roquia and Karimunnesa
Marriage :
At the age of sixteen in 1896, Roquia married Khan Bahadur Sakhawat Hussain and rename old name Roquiah Khatun to Roquiah Sakhawat Hossain. Sakhawat was a Urdu-speaker. He was the Deputy Magistrate of Bhagalpur (now in Bihar, India). Sakhawat Hussain inspired Roquia to learn and write more. He died in 3 May 1909.
Establisging School :
After the death of Sakhawat, five months later, on 1 October 1909, Roquia established a high school named 'Sakhawat Memorial Girls High School' in Bhagalpur with only five students. Her goal was to help the backward, neglected and oppressed Muslim women of Bengal. After having some domestic problem, she move the school to Calcutta and started again on 16 March 1911 with eight students in a house at 13, Waliullah Lane.
Anjuman e Khawateen e Islam :
Begum Roquia founded the 'Anjuman e Khawateen e Islam' which means Islamic Women's Association. Its aim was to inform people about womens situation and education. She is no more but her legacy lived on
Works :
On Newspaper :
Roquia was exceptional talented woman on her time, she wrote regularly for Saogat, mohammadi, Nabaprabha, Mahila, Bharatmahila, Al-Eslam, Nawroz, mahe-nao, bangiya mussalman sahitya patrika, The Mussalman, Indian Ladies Magazine etc. Her irst publication was on 1903 on nabanoor. Some people claims her first writting (pipasha) was published on Nabaprabha in 1902.
Important writtings:
Abarodhbasini (The Secluded Women, 1931)
Matichur (essays lst vol 1904, 2nd Vol. 1922),
Sultana's Dream (satire, 1908),
Padmarag (novel, 1924).