Women of 1971: An Untold Stories of Courage And Sufferings

Our history always represents the bravery of military and witness of political leader. It always fails to recognize the role of women in our liberation war in 1971. Large numbers of women are deprived in our mainstream war history.

Women Participation in 71

It is because our tendency to think that war is all about gunshots and physical

bravery but it’s not all about that. There are more topics related with this.

Seventy million people of the country who had to face to terrible suffering and many had to sacrifice their closest person and even their own life for our country. So this war not only fought in battlefield neither with the guns.

Bengali women gave so much effort to the liberation war. They provide “Mukti Bahini” food and shelter, they devoted themselves to look after 1 billion refugees in the camp and even risking their own lives they hid the weapon of “MuktiBahini”.

Not only this, many women took up the weapon to fight against Pak Army as a part of “MuktiBahini”. Approximately 200 women underwent guerrilla and nursing training in the training camp.

Bir Pratik Taraman Bibi, Who participated the war against Pak army in her village Shankar Madhabpur in Kurigram. She was under command of Major Abu Taher, sector commander in 11 no sector.

When Pakistani army steps toward the place they located with a gunboat she along with other Muktiprepared for the war and then they faced enemy. They all succeeded in getting rid of them. At that time she was just a fourteen years girl who left out her teenage innocence and dream.

For outstanding contribution in liberation war in 1971, risking own

live and as a women overcoming all obstacles she was awarded “Bir

Pratik” by BanghabandhuGovernment in 1973.

Not only Taraman Bibi, there is another women who also was awarded “BirPratik”. She is Dr. Captain Sitara Begum.

Dr. Captain Sitara Begum was honoured “BirPratik” by her noble effort in Bangladesh Hospitalin Tripura. She led a group of women who assisted 480 hospitals in Tripura, Agartala.

In there, they treated injured freedom fighters and many injured Indian Army officers. These women put their heart and soul effort to cure them and their work is not less than the bravery of “Muktijuddha”

Almost 400 medical final year students along with foreign doctors, such as Bengali from UK who came here to treat injured freedom fighters worked under the guidance of Dr. Captain Sitara Begum.

They didn’t have enough facilities to serve and work out though they mange this unimaginable circumstances and never deviated from their humble duty to the hospital.

History does not forget these two ladies for their valiant effort in war

and thus they awarded the respectful “Bir Pratik” by

Bangladeshi Government.

But similar to these two ladies, there are many women in Bangladesh whose sacrifice, suffering and effort remain ignored in our mainstream war history.

Women of these time provided inspiration to freedom fighters and sacrificed their Son, Husband, Father, Brother for the sake of country and their sacrifice and inspiration motivated and boosted our freedom fighters and it acted as a fuel of our war yet they remain abandoned.

In 9 months of war, women had to face extreme brutality by Pak army. Many of our women were used as sex toy of Pak army and our local collaborators.

From a survey, it is known that almost 250,000 to 450,000 women were raped by Pak army and local collaborators. Many of them were taken forcefully to army camp. Even many girls were physically abused in front of their family members.

Reading above the topic has one single intention of mine, that is why we have to give too much effort of knowing women contribution in our liberation war? Why we are always being taught that our freedom is the result of our politician and freedom fighters? Why women are not equally being focused in our mainstream history? Was our freedom possible without the noble effort of our women?

We must recognize their courageous effort what they did in 1971 and we must inform our next generation. We cannot deny their significant contribution in our war. Male sword cannot be victorious without women inspiration and motivation.

Women contributions in our war must be recognized in the history of our freedom.