Find out all war heroines

Speakers at a press conference yesterday urged the government to immediately search out all of Bangladesh's 1971 war heroines, issue a gazette and duly honour and provide benefits since many of them were now old and sick.

Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association (BNWLA) organised the press conference on State Recognition of War Heroines as Freedom Fighters in the capital's Jatiya Press Club.

Three million people were killed and over 2,00,000 women raped during the Liberation War in 1971.

BNWLA Executive Director advocate Salma Ali said there had been no visible initiative since 1971 to recognise war heroines.

She and Mitali Hossain, president of Saleha Ishaq Girls School Ex Students' Association, on January 27, 2014 filed a writ petition for the enactment of a law to recognise war heroines as freedom fighters.

On September 29 this year, the government issued a gazette recognising 41 war heroines as freedom fighters.

Surya Begum, one of the 41, expressed her gratitude to the government along with Salma.

However, Surya lamented that many others were passing days in hardship. "I demand that the government recognises the (remaining) war heroines also," she added.

Mitali said torture and rape of women were among the brutal incidents of the Liberation War. "Women rehabilitation centres were operated between 1972 and 1975. After 1975, these rehabilitation centres were shut down to refuse the sacrifice of women," she said.