Wednesday, June 5, 2024

Biography 209: Token at the Science Library


 Our department was in the Science Annex Building at the University of Dhaka. Beside our building, we had the Science Library building. We mostly go to that library for study.

There was a rule that we had to submit our bags and get a token at the entrance. When we got out, we returned the token and got our bags back. A young adult was responsible for this job.

I noticed that no matter how many ways I try to avoid touching that man's/boy's hand while taking or submitting the token, somehow, his hand touches my hand. It looks like a coincidence, but it can't be coincidental every time. I don't know, how he kept his figure, when I try to get the token, I touch him. And obviously, when he took a token from me, he would touch my hand. The way I gave him the token, like just holding at the corner of it, there was no reason to touch me while taking it back, but he would.

I won't say it's a significant harassment. In Bangladesh, many men touch women's bodies in public places, like while walking beside them, on the bus, or in the shop. I didn't like that attitude. I have visited six countries on two continents and have never faced this kind of harassment anywhere except Bangladesh.

I was thinking about how to avoid this token touching things. One day in Shamsunnahar Hall (a Women's dormitory), a senior student talked about it. She said she always put the token on the table so he couldn't touch her. When he tried to give the token, she asked him to put it on the table, and then she grabbed it from it. I liked her idea.

I started applying this method immediately. It worked! He looks very upset/disturbed by our attitude.

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