She is known for challenging the stringent and orthodox societal norms and for encouraging and enabling Muslim girls to receive formal and skill based education from behind the purdah back in the early 20th century.
In Cuttack, Begum Badar proved to be of a great help to her husband, they both started to work for the upliftment of the Muslim society.
[3] After Sayeed's untimely death in 1922, Begum Badar un nissa was debarred from the family property and title as per the Mahroom-ul-Mariaz tradition of the Shariat, nevertheless she did not let this or her widowhood come on her way in carrying forward her husband's legacy.
She even arranged two purdaah-numa horse carriages for the female students and got them admitted to Ravenshaw girls high school, where she herself took up a job as a teacher.
Badar un nissa faced resistance from the Muslim society for her actions, but against every odd, she continued to educate young girls in Cuttack.