Chhanda: The first Power'woman' 

"Congratulations to all finishers!" is written on their website. These finishers crossed the finish line of victory, bringing glory to their country. The world's largest run-bike duathlon, "Powerman Malaysia 2024", was organized on June 9 in Dataran, Putrajaya, Malaysia. A duathlon is an athletic contest consisting of running and cycling events in a single event.

It is hard to imagine such a big event, and Bangladesh will not be represented there. This year, five Bangladeshis participated in Power Man, one of whom was a woman. She is Kaniz Fatima Chhanda.

Cyclist, biochemist and women's rights activist Chhanda participated in this competition as the first and only woman from Bangladesh.

"It's not about how many times you get rejected or fall or are beaten up; it's about how many times you stand up and are brave and keep on going." These words from Grammy and Oscar-winning singer Lady Gaga perfectly encapsulate the journey of Kaniz Fatima Chhanda.

Her achievement in the Powerman Malaysia 2024 event is a testament to her resilience, a quality that remains untold in her struggles. Being encouraged by a friend, Chhanda decided to join Powerman Malaysia. Although her journey into athletics began with cycling, the practice had waned due to the Covid pandemic. So, she had to prepare for this event from the beginning. She started preparing to participate in this competition with complete self-financing.

Various physical complications hindered this challenge of preparing herself. Still, she did not give up. One and a half months of preparations were made to Malaysia. Chhanda wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to represent her country on the world stage as the first and only woman to run the Run-Bike-Run Duathlon.

Her affinity with bicycles goes back a long time. Besides exploring new places, she started cycling as a medium to move freely and avoid the insecurity aspect of public transport. Later, she founded the 'School of Cycling: Femina' as a cycling training centre for girls.

Chhanda has taught about two thousand girls to cycle. The Palli Karma Sahayika Foundation (PKSF) appointed her as a Goodwill Ambassador for this initiative. Also, Kazi Khalikuzzaman Foundation honored her as a Changemaker.

Kaniz Fatima Chhanda completed her studies at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Dhaka. She has worked at icddr,b National Forensic DNA Profiling Laboratory, Aristopharma Ltd.

She believes there have been some structural changes in the development of women in the context of Bangladesh, but the positive changes have yet to come from the point of view of social mentality.

Also, family support plays a significant role. She says, "If the family members do not support their work, it becomes more challenging for women to achieve a goal. When society looks down on a girl, it is not easy for all girls to ignore it. So, society's attitude towards girls needs to be more open."

However, the scenario of society is sometimes too comfortable and rather hostile towards women. It is not easier to swim against the odds. So, how should women proceed to achieve their dreams?

She says, "Many women want to participate in such sports events and participating in them will take them a step forward."

But what is the next step then? Chhanda also believes keeping oneself fit is the foremost duty in participating and excelling in this field.

She says, "The next step requires training, physical and mental preparation, and continuing to practice. Since running any practice is costly, they will proceed with self-funding in mind. If they consider it an investment in themselves rather than just a competition, it will be easier to move towards their goals. Women have to break social taboos and come forward themselves."

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