Google pays tribute to late activist Perween Rahman with a doodle on her 65th birthday

Google paid tribute on Saturday to late architect and activist Perween Rahman with a custom doodle on what would have been her 65th birthday. She was born on January 22, 1957 in Dhaka.

The doodle depicts the activist looking at Orangi Town, the place she dedicated her life to, from the window of her office.

After the war of 1971, Rahman and her family relocated to Karachi where she pursued a degree in architecture and did her post-graduate studies in housing, building and urban planning. She is known for her work in the goths [shanty towns] scattered across Karachi as part of the Orangi Pilot Project (OPP), an NGO working with underserved communities for the provision of basic amenities such as low cost sanitation, housing, health, education and credit for micro enterprise.

Rahman's dedication to help the 1.5 million residents of Karachi's Orangi Town led her to be appointed as the head of OPP's housing and sanitation programmes. With her taking the lead behind every project the NGO was able to partner with government to set up 650 private schools, 700 medical clinics and 40,000 small businesses. Rahman was conferred a posthumous Sitara-e-Shujaat for her work and dedication.

Actor Ahsan Khan shared the doodle on his Instagram Stories and recalled a 2021 film based on Rahman's life.

Rahman was murdered on March 13, 2013 in Orangi Town. On December 17, a Karachi Anti-Terrorism Court sentenced four men to life imprisonments for her murder.

Rahman's sister Aquila Ismail told Google, "We are deeply touched by this gesture from Google. It is life-affirming to see that Perween’s contribution to Pakistan, the values she stood for and her legacy are being celebrated today. May we all strive to be just in our actions and continue to find inspiration in life itself, like our beloved Perween."