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‘Jamila Kasai’ butchering gender norms in Dinajpur


Published : 16 Apr 2022 09:11 PM

Even though her husband left her, Jamila took care of her family working as a butcher. Despite enduring numerous insults, she is an indomitable woman known as "Jamila Kasai" (Jamila Butcher). It is learned that she is the only 'female butcher' in 13 thanas of Dinajpur district. 

Today Jamila is a successful meat seller and successful trader because of her will power and effort. She bought the land with the efforts of his mother and built a butcher shop. Other butchers complained to the market committee, upazila and union parishad, objecting to a woman setting up a butcher shop in Jamila Bazar. However, she did not give up. Inspired by her mother, Jamila Begum (50) is now a successful businessman. The area is known as 'Jamila Kasai'. She sells three or four butchered cows a day and eight to ten on Fridays. The buyers of Jamila Begum's meat are from Dinajpur district, Nilphamari, Thakurgaon and even the people of Panchagarh.

Jamila is the butcher of the rural market of Jharbari Bazar of Shatgram Union No. 3, Birganj, Dinajpur. After 20 years of continuous experience, if one touches the cow, they can understand whether the animal is healthy or diseased. She never bought sick cows even though she was in need. As a result, none of her cows ever fell ill or died before being slaughtered.

The feature of her ‘Mayer Dowa Meat Store' is that the meat is sold separately from the bones here. It is then sold on digital scales. The meat of Jamila's shop goes to various events in the surrounding villages and towns including weddings and other events. With two decades of continuous experience, she has become trustworthy to the buyers. She is now known as 'Jamila Kasai' in the area. Regarding her becoming a butcher, Jamila told this correspondent that because her husband was a butcher, watching the activities closely, cooperating with him taught her the how abouts of the business.

At first there were many obstacles. Many wanted to shut down my business by complaining and spreading superstition, but I survived by overcoming all obstacles with my mother's motivation.” She said.

Confident Jamila said, there is no gender specification for any profession. The key to success is to do business honestly. 

Jamila said about the daily routine of her business, every morning I disinfect the shop with flies and disinfectants. Employees follow this instruction by making rules every day. The veterinarian of the neighboring village of Debarupara checks whether every cow is disease free. 

It is learned that Jamila is the third child of four sisters and one brother. Father Zakir Hossain was a wholesaler. Due to lack of education, she got married at the age of 15. Jamila's husband Rafiqul Islam Bhandari's meat shop is next to his father's shop. After marriage, Jamila learned a lot of butchery work by watching her husband sitting in the shop.

Within a year and a half, a son Zahir was born. Then she was wishing for a second child. Meanwhile, Jamila finds out that her husband is addicted to drugs. He used to come home drunk and beat her regularly. It was later learned that he had another wife. Husband Rafiq went missing after borrowing two and a half lakh taka from various people.

Then pregnant Jamila Begum took shelter in her father's house with her child in her lap.

She sold 5 percent of his father's land and started slaughtering in the market. 

Girls can do everything they can to prove themselves. Jamila did not find her husband. Jamila Begum bought land a few yards away from the shop and built a house with the money from selling meat. Jamila now owns 15 percent of the land. The boy could not get an education as he had to be a business partner from a young age. However, daughter Sohagi Akhter is in ninth grade. Sohagi Akhter said that she is a student of Jharbari High School. In the beginning many people used to say- your mother is a butcher, some people don't want to mix. However, she has solved the problem by becoming a good student.

Jamila said that even though she could not give time to her daughter, she kept track of whether she was going to school or not. 

I want to make the girl highly educated. I will continue the butchery business as long as I live. A few days ago, Jamila Kabasai got the title of 'Jayita'.