At first, she won hearts with her beauty; and now with her kindness. Natasha Rahman chats up our very own Maksuda Akhter Prioty
Photographs by Choudhury Safwat Gani
Beauty pageants thrive on creating fantasies by crafting a divine image. To assume that being beautiful is a prerequisite for winning a show is a common mistake made by many. But it isn’t a cake walk and Maksuda Akhter Prioty, Ms Ireland, tells it as it is. She refutes the idea that beauty pageants are a platform to display women’s physical appearance only. “As a participant in Ms Ireland, 70 percent of the marks come from how much time I consume in social work; the rest 30 percent is credited to external appearance and my ability to blend in with the other contestants,” she shares. Prioty has paved the way for her fairytale by being the first Irish-Bangladeshi woman to be crowned First Runner-up in the Ms Earth 2016 international pageant in Jamaica. “Whatever I do, I give my 100 percent,” she says.
The winner of Miss Universal Royalty 2013, Prioty, always wants to push herself and get as much as she can from life. “It’s ingrained in us to work for people, not only nationally but internationally. People will want to see if I am reaching out to other countries as well.”
The spirited Prioty enjoys the thrill of balancing her passions and priorities. Working as a private pilot and a flying instructor in Newcastle Airport, Ireland, pursuing her modelling career and working for charitable causes, Prioty dons all these hats with ease.“I get bored easily and want to immerse myself in various activities,” she chuckles.
When back in Dublin, she still keeps herself busy with various fundraisers and social causes. “When we are questioned by the judges about our aims once we become the title holder, our answers must reflect our previous work history. As Ms Ireland, my actions represent my country. I will do my best to uphold the dignity; or else it’s futile in holding such a big title,” she stresses.
Adrenaline doesn’t allow Prioty to rest. “I am currently on vacation, but I decided that I should do something for Bangladesh.” Now involved with Bangla Pathshala, Procheshta Foundation, Shobar Jonno Shikkha, Gorbo Bangladesh, Prioty supports as many causes as she can. “I am genuinely learning a lot about various causes. I get to work for underprivileged children, thalassemia patients and have also helped in delivering sanitary napkins in rural areas.”
Prioty is ecstatic to work with people. “I don’t do it because of the title; it truly is a rewarding feeling to be part of a noble cause,” she says with pride. In the case of modelling platforms, Prioty feels it has taken a backseat. The enthusiastic model ends by saying, “We need to establish training centres here for girls who are willing to take part in beauty pageants. It is essential for them to build a profile, involve themselves in social causes and learn to coexist with fellow contestants despite cultural differences to compete internationally.”