Shimu's life has been full of drama on and off screen

The real life story of a Bangladeshi child soap star has turned out to be every bit as dramatic as her trials and tribulations on screen.

Thirteen-year-old Shimu starred in a popular television serial which promoted girls' education and highlighted the evils of child marriages.

As her screen character veered from one crisis to another, her real life was also in turmoil.

Paid only a nominal fee for her TV appearances, Shimu was forced to drop out of school because of poverty.

She faced the prospect of a childhood marriage when her family sent her back to her home village, and her plight made newspaper headlines.

But with the help of local supporters and an international charity, she is now back at school and back on the TV screen.

Real life troubles

Shimu is one of some 30 children in a street theatre group, called Tokai Nattya Dol that meets most afternoons in one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Dhaka.

Many of them are struggling to stay at school, with most working part-time to help their parents. But they all aspire to become TV stars one day.

Many young girls are pressured into marriage because of poverty

Shimu, the star of a hit Bangladeshi television serial that promotes girls' education, is their role model.

Her role depicts the life of a poor girl, whose parents want her to drop out of school, so that she can go to town and work in a garment factory.

The series turned the teenager into a popular star. But then real life troubles - in the form of poverty - threatened both her education and her career.

"I wanted to continue studying," she said, "but my grandparents ran into financial difficulties, they could no longer afford to send me to school.

"They sent me back to the village, and I had to leave my theatre group and go back home. But then Unicef (The UN children's' fund) and my group came to my aid, and provided financial support for me and my family which allowed me to stay in Dhaka."

Shimu's father died before she was born. Her mother remarried, leaving her to be looked after by her grandparents.

Her grandmother, Ayesha Bibi, says that cash shortages have always been a problem.

Assistance

"We were struggling to keep her at school," she said. "So we decided to send her back home, because at that time an order was issued to evict us from the slum where we lived.

"We felt that while it was possible for us to live on the streets, for a young girl like her it would not be safe. So we had no option but to send her back to our village home."

Unicef and the makers of the TV serial now provide assistance for Shimu's education. She lives in a slum close to her school, sharing a room with her grandparents.

"I feel a kind of joy living here, because I know everybody here, everybody knows me," she said.

Shimu is an inspiration to her contemporaries

The role Shimu plays in the serial accurately portrays the lifestyle of many poor Bangladeshi girls.

Often they are forced to drop out of school to help at home or earn money for the family. Many parents marry off teenaged girls to get rid of the burden of providing them with food and education.

Shimu herself was under pressure from her family to get married, especially from her grandmother.

"I wanted her to get married... but we couldn't manage enough money to pay for the dowry. If someone agreed to marry her without a dowry, then it would have been possible," said Ayesha Bibi.

"There were several proposals to marry her. But I sought advice from the director of her theatre group, and he told me that we should wait, she is still young."

Shimu - like her alter ego in the TV soap - was adamant that she did not want to marry, and wanted to carry on with her education and acting career. But she admits it will be a difficult battle.

"There is pressure on me to get married," she said, "and my family has made no secret of the fact that it wants to marry me off.

Eid Mubarak From Hayul Ahmed.

Writing a CV for the first time can seem like an impossible task. You just don't know what to put in or what to leave out. You may feel you've done nothing and achieved nothing that's relevant.

Getting started is the hardest part. However, by talking it through with someone they might be able to help you identify your achievements and skills.

There are basically 2 types of CVs (Curriculum Vitae):

• Chronological CV - this is the most common one and puts everything you have done in date order - finishing with the exams you have just taken or your most recent employment.
• Functional CV - is more about your skills and achievements - starting with what you think is most important or relevant.

It will be for you to decide which you think is most suitable for the job you are applying for - it may be that a combination of both is appropriate.

If you are disabled, you will also need to decide if you are going to disclose your disability. You are only obliged to disclose your disability by law, if it may cause health and safety issues for you or others.

By disclosing your disability you will enable your organisation to understand any additional requirements you may have because of a disability or health condition. You may be concerned that by disclosing your disability you are putting yourself at a disadvantage during the recruitment and selection process but if you follow a few simple guideline this shouldn't be the case.

Disclosing your disability is obviously a very personal thing and no-one can tell you how to do so, but here are a few tips to help you:

• Be confident, clear and honest.
• Be positive- emphasise the skills, abilities and experiences you have gained.
• You don't have to discuss your disability apart from how it affects your work and you should be prepared to discuss it in this context.
• It's a good idea to think of examples before hand where your disability hasn't stopped you from achieving your goals.

Most employers prefer you to disclose your disability as it helps them to monitor their equal opportunities policies and to make sure that they are accessible. Many employers operate a Guaranteed Interview scheme for disabled candidates where you are guaranteed an interview if you meet the minimum job requirements.

Along with your CV you will need to send a covering letter. Remember to sell yourself in the letter - tell them what job you are applying for and why you think you would be right for it.

You must be precise - a CV that is too long or too many pages will probably be disregarded. You can expand on what is listed in your CV if you are successful enough to get an interview.

Make sure that your CV is:

• Typed - if you don't have your own equipment, use school, college, Connexions Centre or try your local library.
• Clear - don't try to be fancy keep it black print on white paper in an easy to read font such as Arial 12.
• Logical - start with your name and contact details, work through your school, college and any work.
• Accurate - proof read it and make sure it makes sense and there are no spelling mistakes.
• Concise - keep it short - 2 pages if possible.
• Above all be honest in your CV - remember you will have to support anything you have written if you get an interview!

Who can help

GreatCVs is a unique reference point for anyone wanting to create a new CV or update an existing one. Written by experts it offer tips and advice for writing any type of CV, from targeted to performing arts and much, much more... www.greatcvs.co.uk.

The Connexions job database, www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u, can also help you to get an idea of what different employers expect from their employees. This can help you plan voluntary and part-time work to improve your CV for a particular career.

You can speak to a Personal Adviser at your local Connexions Centre. To find your local centre click on the Local Services icon in the footer of the homepage or check out your local phone book.

You can contact a Connexions Direct Adviser by phone on 080 800 13 2 19, by text on 07766 4 13 2 19, by textphone 08000 968 336, by adviser online or by email.

You don't have to give your name or personal details if you don't want to. Your information will not be shared outside Connexions Direct unless we think you or another young person are in danger or at risk.

If we think you are in danger or at risk we will tell you and offer lots of support. If you agree, we will share your information with specialist organisations who can help you further.

Bangladesh is one of the world's most densely populated countries, with its people crammed into a delta of rivers that empties into the Bay of Bengal.

Poverty is deep and widespread; almost half of the population live on less than one dollar a day. However, Bangladesh has reduced population growth and improved health and education.

OVERVIEW

OVERVIEW | FACTS | LEADERS | MEDIA

The major employer is agriculture, but it is unable to meet the demand for jobs. Thus many Bangladeshis - in common with citizens from other countries in the region - seek work abroad, sometimes illegally. The country is trying to diversify its economy, with industrial development a priority. Overseas investors have pumped money into manufacturing and the energy sector.

Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries

Onshore and offshore gas reserves hold out some chance of future prosperity. There has been a debate about whether the reserves should be reserved for domestic use or exported. Some international energy companies are involved in the gas sector.

Formerly East Pakistan, Bangladesh came into being only in 1971, when the two parts of Pakistan split after a bitter civil war which drew in neighbouring India.

Bangladesh spent 15 years under military rule and, although democracy was restored in 1990, the political scene remains volatile.

Analysts say the antagonism between the Awami League, which governed until July 2001, and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party reflects personal animosity between their leaders rather than substantial ideological differences.

Political tensions have spilled over into violence; hundreds of people have been killed in recent years. Attacks have targeted opposition rallies and public gatherings. Senior opposition figures have also been targeted.

Concern has grown about religious extremism in the traditionally moderate and tolerant country, which found apparent form in a string of bomb attacks in August 2005. The government, which long denied that it had a problem with militants, has outlawed two fringe Islamic organisations.

Bangladesh has been criticised for its human rights record, with particular concern about assaults on women and allegations that police use torture against those in custody.

The low-lying country is vulnerable to flooding and cyclones and it stands to be badly affected by predicted rises in sea levels.

FACTS

OVERVIEW | FACTS | LEADERS | MEDIA

• Full name: People's Republic of Bangladesh
• Population: 152.6 million (UN, 2005)
• Capital and largest city: Dhaka
• Area: 143,998 sq km (55,598 sq miles)
• Major language: Bengali
• Major religions: Islam, Hinduism
• Life expectancy: 62 years (men), 63 years (women) (UN)
• Monetary unit: 1 taka = 100 paisa
• Main exports: Garments, fish, jute goods, leather products
• GNI per capita: US $470 (World Bank, 2006)
• Internet domain: .bd
• International dialling code: +880

LEADERS

OVERVIEW | FACTS | LEADERS | MEDIA

President: Iajuddin Ahmed

Head of interim government: Fakhruddin Ahmed

Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, a former head of the central bank, took over as head of the interim government in January 2007.

Fakhruddin Ahmed - banker turned interim leader

The caretaker administration has the responsibility of preparing the country for elections, which it has said will take place at the end of 2008.

It has the backing of the military, but Dr Ahmed said it is his administration which is in charge.

The interim government has promised to clean up corruption before the elections, and has set up fast-track courts to prosecute dozens of high profile political figures.

It has also tried to exclude the country's two leading women from politics arguing that the presence of the two party leaders was stopping it from carrying out constitutional reforms.

Widespread violence between supporters of the two women led to the cancellation of January's general election and the imposition of a state of emergency.

The caretaker authority replaced Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia at the end of her five-year mandate in October 2006.

Bangladesh introduced the caretaker system in 1991 after military president Hossain Mohammad Ershad was toppled through a people's uprising led jointly by Khaleda and Sheikh Hasina, who now heads the main opposition party, the Awami League.

The system, designed to prevent ruling parties from rigging polls, is considered to have worked generally well in three elections.

Leading women in politics

Politics has been dominated by arch-enemies Begum Khaleda Zia, the chief of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and Sheikh Hasina, leader of the Awami League.

Begum Khaleda Zia (left) and Sheikh Hasina

Khaleda was prime minister between 1991 and 1996 and again from 2001 to October 2006, when she handed over power to a caretaker administration ahead of elections.

Hasina was prime minister from 1996 to 2001.

The hostility between the women stems in part from differences over who played a greater role in the country's independence struggle - Hasina's father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, or Khaleda's husband, General Ziaur Rahman.

After independence from Pakistan in 1971, Mujib was named father of the nation in the country's 1972 constitution.

But when Khaleda assumed power in 1991 her party pushed the idea that her husband was an equally key player in the independence struggle.

Khaleda's government amended the constitution in 2004 to delete the reference that Mujib was the father of the nation.

Khaleda and Hasina sank their differences when military ruler Hossain Mohammad Ershad was in power from 1982 to 1990. The two cooperated in the movement to oust Ershad.

But their alliance ended with Ershad's departure and they have been uncompromising rivals ever since on a range of issues.

Hasina accuses Khaleda's BNP and its Islamic allies with links to outlawed Islamist groups blamed for a series of bomb attacks in 2007.

Khaleda says Hasina's statements amount to treason.

Hasina escaped an assassination attempt in August 2004 when grenades exploded at a rally she was addressing. Twenty-three people were killed in the attack, which the Awami League said could be linked to parties in the ruling coalition.

MEDIA

OVERVIEW | FACTS | LEADERS | MEDIA

The main broadcasters - Radio Bangladesh and Bangladesh Television (BTV) - are state-owned and favourable to the government. Little coverage is given to the political opposition, except in the run-up to general elections when a caretaker government takes control.

TV dominates media usage, especially in the cities. BTV is the sole terrestrial TV channel. Popular satellite and cable channels include ATN, Channel i, NTV, RTV, Channel One, BanglaVision and Boishakhi. The advent of these private broadcasters has had little impact in rural areas.

Foreign, especially Indian, TV stations have gained large audiences in Dhaka and other cities.

State-run radio covers almost the entire country.

Bangladeshi newspapers are diverse, outspoken and privately-owned. The print media are privately owned and there is a strong tradition of owner-editorship. English-language titles appeal mainly to an educated urban readership.

The constitution guarantees press freedom, but journalists are subject to regular harassment from the police and political activists. The government exercises a degree of control through the placement of official advertising.

Media rights organisation Reporters Without Borders says journalists are targeted by Islamist and Maoist groups, as well as officials and politicians.

The BBC World Service is available on FM in Dhaka.

The press