Mahamuda Akter

A Different Kind of Pain Mahamuda Akter

Mahamuda Akter is a math teacher, poet, and artist living in Dhaka, Bangladesh. When the coronavirus pandemic hit, her family of ten lost their jobs, and they went from living a good life to suffering intensely. Due to the pandemic there was no work and no money, and government rations of rice, flour, wheat, and lentils at different times were the only food. Mahamuda chose to eat once a day to conserve for her children and could not buy milk for her two-year-old son. On March 27, Mahamuda's father suffered brain damage from epilepsy, and on April 12, her husband suffered a stroke. Mahamuda in desperation borrowed money more than once to pay for life-saving medical care. In August 2020 her creditor gave Mahamuda until September 30 to repay some of her debts or go to jail. Mahamuda questioned Allah. She condemned the corruption of Bangladeshi society. She alternated between hope and despair. And she wrote about it.