Priota: The girl who parades the Bangladeshi flag around the world

Popularly known as 'The Flag Girl', Priota Iftekhar uses the Bangladeshi flag to fight for women's right to travel.

She is the granddaughter of Nurjahan Begum, the first female journalist in Bangladesh and founder of women's weekly 'Begum'. Priota, however, earned her fame and popularity by her own merits.

She initially worked as an actor and a model. Priota presently works as a travel and video blogger, manages the online community 'The Flag Girl', and is the brand ambassador for Bangladesh Tourism Corporation.

"I love to empower women and I am proud to represent the Bangladeshi flag abroad," said Priota to The Business Standard. "Whenever Bangladeshi girls want to travel, they are told to wait until they are married. But we too need to travel overseas for work and education." 

Priota was nominated for a leadership programme organised by the US embassy in 2009. Her mother was a single parent and many people urged her not to allow Priota to attend the programme.

"The boys could easily go out without any problems. I could not simply because I was a girl. I didn't like this. So, I ran away from home." 

This, however, was not the first time she ran away. Priota desperately wanted to travel to Sri Lanka to attend a cricket match and watch the Bangladesh team play. But her family would not let her, so they confiscated her passport.  

Feeling like there was no other way, Priota stole a handbag and took with her a Bangladeshi flag. She headed straight to the airport. Although she was stopped, Priota was eventually allowed on the plane. She believes it was the national flag that allowed her to do this. She carried the Bangladeshi flag with her during her travels ever since.

"I have carried our flag with me to many countries and stages. I did it so other girls can find the courage to do the same."
Priota studied at a private university in Dhaka. She also graduated from Anupam Kher Acting School in India.

"Since 2013, I have had a lot of freedom. I modelled for some commercials. But when I landed acting jobs, one of my colleagues made negative comments about my performance. I decided to study acting afterwards."

Priota lost her father at an early age, and her mother passed away in 2017. She still grieves her mother's passing. Priota was studying acting and filmmaking in Mumbai at the time, dreaming of establishing herself. After receiving the news of her mother's demise, she hastily returned to the country. Priota could not bear to stand in front of the camera again ever again. 

"The person for whom I wanted to fulfil my dream was gone. I was no longer interested in working in the media afterwards."
Priota dreamt of travelling abroad by herself, but she also wanted to encourage and empower other Bangladeshi women to do the same.

She has travelled to many countries by herself, and befriended people around the world. Priota always gives her friends a flag of Bangladesh, whether they are from Bangladesh or abroad, and asks to carry it with them when travelling overseas.   

Many of her friends have fulfilled her wish. Whenever they visit a new country, they post pictures of themselves holding the flag.

"I want to show the Bangladeshi flag to the world. I ask my friends to carry the flag every time they travel abroad."

Priota is the founder of the online community 'The Flag Girl'. She started this project in 2009, and it allows people to make friends from around the world.

Young people from more than 50 countries are members of this network.

In 2018, Priota became the winner of the Miss Culture Worldwide. The final event of the competition was held in December at Harare, Zimbabwe, organised by the National Branding and Investment Firm of Zimbabwe. Fifty countries participated in the pageant.

During the event, Priota dressed up as a female freedom fighter to highlight the contribution of women during the Liberation War of Bangladesh. 

She has also represented Bangladesh in various international pageants which includes Miss Tourism World and Miss Multinational.
Priota  received the 'Joy Bangla Youth Award' in 2018 for her contribution to women empowerment and social development.

Priota dreams of the day when Bangladeshi girls will be able to travel freely around the world. She also dreams of the day when people from abroad will want to come to visit Bangladesh the same way she wanted to visit their countries.

"Many of my foreign friends come to visit me the same way I went to visit them. They stay at my house," she said.  "I think it is a cost-effective way to travel. Plus you also feel a lot safer when doing this."