Freedom fighter status for 41 Biranganas

"War time rape victims cannot be viewed as a mere woman who lost her chastity. In fact they fought by laying their highest self-worth, for the cause of our independence. Time has come to unlock our collective voice to  recognise  and  honour  our  great  mothers  and  sisters,  the  war  heroines."

The war crimes tribunal said this in a verdict last December, noting how the nation in its 43 years of independence failed to properly recognise war heroines.

After the independence in 1971, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman honoured these women with "Birangana" title, but society turned its back towards them. Hundreds of thousands of rape survivors were socially ostracized and left unattended. After the political changeover following Bangabandhu's assassination in 1975, they went into oblivion.

Finally, the country, for which they made their significant sacrifice, has come forward to give them their due recognition. Parliament in January passed a proposal to include Biranganas in the list of freedom fighters.

The liberation war affairs ministry issued a gazette notification yesterday  recognising 41 Biranganas as freedom fighters.

"We will honour other Biranganas phase by phase," said Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haq.

With a retrospective effect from July this year, the 41 war heroines will get all the facilities that freedom fighters have been enjoying, he said.

A freedom fighter gets Tk 8,000 as allowance, which will be increased to Tk 10,000 from January next year. Besides, the ministry is building houses for homeless freedom fighters, Mozammel told The Daily Star.

The ministry formed a committee for each upazila, which will look for Biranganas in the area, verify their identities and make a list of them. The top woman government officer of an upazila will lead the committee.

More than two lakh women of the country were raped and tortured by the Pakistan Army and their local collaborators during the nine-month-long Liberation War. Many of them gave birth to war babies.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in recognition of their glorified sacrifices, honoured them as war heroines immediately after independence. He pleaded with his countrymen to give due honour and dignity to the women oppressed by the Pakistani army, wrote the International Crimes Tribunal-2, now dormant, in its verdict in the case against Syed Mohammad Qaisar last December.

The post-war government established Women's Rehabilitation Board to institutionalize the rehabilitation of these women, with the Central Women's Rehabilitation Organisation coordinating the government policies, reads the verdict.

After the assassination of Sheikh Mujib, the rehabilitation programme was put to an end, the records were seized and all the Dhaka and district centres were turned over to women's directorate, says the judgment.

Around the same time, the ICT-1 in its verdict in the case against ATM Azharul Islam said the government should incorporate stories of sacrifices and torments of the Biranganas into textbooks so that the new generations can learn the real history of the war.

However, the demand has long been pressed for the state recognition of the Biranganas as freedom fighters.

"I have been waiting for the last 40 years. My wishes are fulfilled today. I am very happy as Biranganas have been given equal rights as those of freedom fighters," Surya Begum, one of the 41 Biranganas, told BBC Bangla Service yesterday.

The Biranganas recognised this time are Moimona Khatun and Halima Khatun of Phulpur; Zahera Khan and Fatema Khatun of Haluaghat in Mumensingh; Mazeda Begum alias Mageda Khatun of Madhobpur in Habiganj; Eshnu Begum of Zakiganj in Sylhet; Elejan Nesa, Momeba Khatun, Goljar Nesa and Mojiron Nesa of Kumarkhali in Kushtia; Mansura Begum of Rangpur Sadar; Sumi Basugi, Maleka, Moni Kisku, Niharani Das, Nurjahan Begum and Hafeza Begum of Ranishankail in Thakurgaon; Maleka Begum of Shibganj in Chapainawabganj; Rabia Begum, Hasina Begum, Joly Begum, Safeda Begum, Ayesha Begum, Renu Begum, Hazera Begum, Arbi Begum and Rahela Begum of Gomastapur; Lili Begum of Chapainawabganj Sadar; Asia Begum of Kazipara in Sirajganj; Aimona, Surya Begum, Komla Bewa, Joygan, Suraiya Khatun, Mahela Begum, Hamida Bewa, Hasna Begum, Rahima Bewa, Samena Khatun, Shamsunnahar Bewa of Sirajganj Sadar; and Srimati Rajubala Dey of Kamarkhand.