A training centre, hundreds of women and their success stories

• Ma Fatema Women's Training and Development Complex in Bogura offers 3 high-tech courses 
• A total of 778 women have so far received training from the centre and 560 got jobs 
• Pran-RFL, among others, recruits the highest from the centre 
• Any girls or women having at least class-eight level education can enroll in the courses
• During training, they receive free accommodation and food 

Almost confirmed jobs for women with a three-month training – a Bogura-based training centre has made it possible.

So far, 778 women received training from the institute – Ma Fatema Women's Training and Development Complex – over the past nine years and 560 of them got jobs immediately after completing the course.

Take the case of Tazrina Akhter of Dinajpur for example. After her father's death, the young woman and her family were going through a financial crisis some five years ago. She was then thinking of doing something to manage their livelihoods.

As she had no special skills to get a good job, she went to the training centre following her uncle's advice.

Photo: TBS

Tazrina learnt motorcycle servicing there. With the completion of the course, she got a job at the Pran-RFL factory in Habiganj. Currently, she serves the company at its Duranta bike factory in Rangpur as an operator.

"Before I got my job, my family's financial condition was very bad. It is my happiness that I could make conditions better. Now, we have no extreme crisis," Tazrina told The Business Standard.

"My dream was to get a respectable job and the training centre helped me fulfil the dream," she added.

The women's training centre on the bank of the Jamuna River at Shariakandi upazila initially started in 2000 to train women on poultry, livestock, sewing, and laundry. It became a fully government-owned centre in 2006.

Later in 2014, the Department of Women Affairs, which looks after the centre, inked a deal with the non-government organisation Underprivileged Children's Education Programmes (Ucep) to launch three high-tech training programmes on consumer electronics, electrics, and motorcycle servicing.

Ucep provides training and helps students get their desired jobs. A total of 13 officials, including 5 from Ucep, currently serve at the centre.  

According to the district office of the Department of Women Affairs, a total of 828 women have so far enrolled in the three courses and 778 completed their training. Of them, 272 received training on consumer electronics, 254 on electrics, and the rest 210 on motorcycle servicing.

So far 560 women have been placed at different renowned companies across the country, such as Pran-RFL, Monaco Motors, Walton, and Shovon Group. Pran-RFL recruits the highest among others.

"Hundreds of North Bengal women have been able to change their lives through these training," said Shamsul Tabrez, lead trainer of Ma Fatema Women's Training and Development Complex.

An official at Ucep, he told TBS the complex is trying its best to make women of the region as well as in the rest of the country self-reliant.

"The deadly coronavirus took a toll on us. We had to halt operations for two years. However, we started again in January this year and a batch of 50 completed their course. Interestingly, the newly graduated also have had their job placements."

Elifa Tudu is one among the 50. She joined the Pran-RFL Habiganj factory a few months ago.

Photo: TBS

"Getting a job after the training is really exciting. I feel that I am going to get a new life becoming self-reliant," she said.

The young woman further added that she had learned how to make different types of lights and many more things, which is a very demanding skill.

The country has seven such training centres in total which are dedicated for women, while two of them – in Bogura and Gazipur – are offering high-tech courses, said Shahidul Islam, deputy director of the Directorate of Women Affairs for the district.

He said the Bogura centre is doing the best among the centres.

For example, from the last batch, 47 out of 50 have been recruited by Pran-RFL within their course completion.

"It is possible to train more women in the centre as there is huge space. But due to the lack of buildings, the number of trainees cannot be increased."

Hence, Shahidul Islam urged the government to establish new infrastructure there.

Any girls or women who have at least class-eight level education can apply to get admitted in the Ma Fatima Women Training and Development Complex.

During the three months of training, the trainees are provided with free accommodation and food. Each of them also receives Tk900 in allowance and a certificate after the successful completion of the course. ***