In Cox’s Bazar, the longest unbroken sea beach in the world, some girls walk the shore selling trinkets and food to help their families while many of them will be married even before they become adults and are expected to assume traditional roles in house.

This archetypal picture is slightly different for an ambitious group of young girls who are pushing back against the social tide and riding into the waves of surfing.

Recently PBS, an American public broadcasting service, telecasted a special report on Bangladeshi surfer girls who make waves and defy social expectations in the beach town.

The report says, watching girls surf is a rare sight in Bangladesh, which is a predominantly Muslim country of 160million. In the country, the surfers are mainly men and most of the people are not prepared to see girls in the water.

The group of 12 surfer girls in Cox’s Bazar flouts against all social frowning. Sobe Meheraz, one of the surfing girls, said ‘I love surfing. When people see me, they say wow, you rode such a big wave. Everyone watches me at the beach and says, ‘good job, good job.’

However, some people around the neighborhood do not like it.

A local man said, ‘The issue of girls surfing isn’t a good thing. Girls are meant to be covered, so that boys can’t see them. Girls have been told to stay out of the boy’s sight. So, if girls are surfing and go into the ocean, then a lot of people can see them, which is a sin.’

A longtime surfer, Rashed Alam, found the Sobe Meheraz and her friend Shoma, selling eggs and jewelry on the beach five years ago. He decided to train the girls to surf. Rashed also looks after the girls and runs a local club for surfer boys and girls.

Rashed said woman in Bangladesh only get married and stay in home, like whole life as a housewife. But, they have lots things to do outside of home.

Shoma’s mother, who believes in empowering her daughter, said ‘My daughter surfs, and I am so happy. If Allah blesses us, then my daughter will be very big surfer. She can surf for 40 or 50 years, and go to a foreign land.

Baby Aktar, mother of Sobe Meheraz, who is not so fond of her daughter’s surfing, said, ‘If she had a job, it would be good for us.’

Baby married off all of her daughters at 13, except for Meheraz.

Despite her mother’s discouragement and social expectations, like 12 surfer girl, Sobe Meheraz is also determined to continue with her wave riding.