Kazi Asma Azmery speaks at a seminar organized by the Dhaka University Research Society (DURS) on Wednesday, January 23, 2019 Dhaka Tribune

Being taunted by friends drove Asma Azmery to prove that Bangladeshi girls can travel like boys

Kazi Asma Azmery is the Bangladeshi who travelled 100 countries within nine years.

She recalled her journey experiences and gave her observation in a seminar organized by the Dhaka University Research Society (DURS) on Wednesday at the Centre for Advanced Research in Arts and Social Sciences (CARAS) at the Dhaka University (DU).

“Travelling is an investment and source of knowledge by which you can learn a lot. You learn more by travelling than reading about the places,” she said.

Asma, who completed BBA in marketing at North South University (NSU), has travelled 100 countries with a Bangladeshi passport.

She started her journey after being insulted by her friends. She said: “My friends who travelled 24-25 countries used to say that a girl cannot do everything like a boy because she is weak.

“It hurt me, because I know that I am not weak. I finished my graduation, when a lot of women are unable to do so. I started my journey in 2009, and I travelled 99 countries within nine years.”

She said Bangladeshi people often change passports, but she has not, even though she has faced various problems.

“Changing Bangladeshi passport or using a foreign passport is not a fact to feel proud, or not a solution to reduce the sufferings which Bangladeshis face more often abroad. We need to develop our country, rather than changing our passport.

“I always carry my Bangladeshi passport so people can know me by my country. I am proud to do that.”

Regarding her sufferings, she said: “I had to suffer a lot and face negligence in different places while travelling just for being a Bangladeshi and for carrying a Bangladeshi passport, whereas a European or citizens of other developed countries get full hospitality everywhere spending half the amount of money than us.”

Describing how she started, Asma said: “I started my journey by selling my gold jewellery, because they held no value to me. Bangali girls buy saris, but I bought tickets. I like to make my travel adventurous, and I learned from my travelling that I am strong enough. The notion that girls are weak is incorrect.”

She said: “I always began my journey in any country by visiting its museum first which introduced me to the culture and traditions of that country and help me to travel properly.”

In response to a question about security, she said: “I never felt insecure anywhere except India, as I have dealt with similar situations in Bangladesh and I know how to deal with it.

“Bangladeshi people will not feel any kind of insecurity anywhere abroad, as they are habituated with the problems that could happen.”

Kazi Samio, senior research fellow of CARAS, presided over the program.

Prof Dr Anisuzzaman of the philosophy department of DU, and Road Transport and Bridges Joint Secretary Zakir Hossain also spoke at the program.



