Taekwondo in Dhaka University girl halls

Kobi Sufia Kamal Hall of Dhaka University seems done up a bit better than the other halls. The hall is normally quite silent, but this been changing over the last few days. The girls gather at the hall grounds in the afternoon, breaking the usual silence. They are exercising under an instructor.
These students of the hall are learning taekwondo, a Korean martial art form with a heavy emphasis on kicks and meant mainly for self-defence.
Visiting at the hall compound on Thursday, this correspondent observed that students were practicing taekwondo moves. Even two daughters of a teacher attended the training session.
Dhaka University and Bangladesh Taekwondo Federation has arranged taekwondo training for students of five female halls of the university, starting January 5.
A total of 22 trainers of the federation have been instructing the girls with the help of Trust Bank.

Taekwondo Federation general secretary Mahmudul Islam told Prothom Alo taekwondo is characterized by its emphasis on two arms and legs with head-height kicks, jumping and spinning kicks. Commands come from brain. Taekwondo training makes people self-confident and courageous which is manifest in their appearances and movements. There is no age bar for the training.

He said that four Korean instructors would visit and train the female students. They would receive certificates after training. The certificates will be helpful in getting jobs including with the armed forces.

Taekwondo Federation officials said that 1.5 lakh (150,000) students of 40 educational institutions are learning taekwondo at countrywide.

Tanzila Rahman, a student of Eden College who is also a taekwondo instructor, told Prothom Alo taekwondo boosted courage and made one feeling stand out among the others.

Kobi Sufia Kamal Hall provost professor Nilufar Nahar told Prothom Alo the girls would be more encouraged and self-motivated after the training. They will learn self-defence techniques. They will think ‘we can’. Then they will not attempt suicide in adversity, rather face the situation bodly.