Village of 1971 widows
It is better late then never. According to a recent report in several national dailies, on 25th March 2008, the 19th infantry division commander Major General A. K. M. Mujahid Uddin alone with his brigade commander and Sherpur district commissioner (DC) inaugurated a Shaheed (martyrs) memorial plaque and some income generating rehabilitation programmes for the first time for 39 Shaheed families of Shohagpur village in Nalitabari upazila. The barbaric Pakistan army, aided by their local collaborators, on the morning of 25 July 1971 killed 187 innocent men - mostly farmers and day labourers including all the adult males - of that village. Since then Shohagpur village is locally called as 'bidhoba para' or the village of widows. Whoever in the government has initiated this rehabilitation programme, has done a highly commendable job.
Shohagpur 'bidhoba para' is a terrifying symbol of Pakistan army genocide in Bangladesh. In fact, Sohagpur's fate was shared by a number of border villages a few are locally called 'bidhobader gram' or the village of widows all located in Bangladesh northern border regions. These 'bidhobader gram' suffered most in 1971. Survivors of these massacres - widows and orphans - faced uncertain future and have never recovered fully. Many started begging. Regrettably, like several other matters, 'bidhobader gram' is an almost unknown chapter of Bangladesh Liberation War. I roughly estimated that about 50 -60 villages in the northern border regions of Bangladesh (old Mymensingh district of Dhaka division and northern districts bordering with Assam-Meghalaya; excluding the Sylhet border areas) could be termed as 'bidhobader gram'. Features of the 'bidhobader gram' are: (1) All or more than 50% adult male population were killed by the Pakistan army without any trial in 1971. (2) These villages were completely burnt to the ground in 1971. (3) Majority of the older women are 1971 widows. (4)Adult males are aged around 40 to 45 years (1971 orphans). (5) Surviving victims widows and orphans (and probably the next generation) are still traumatized and suffering from various mental problems. (6) These families live in abject poverty and illiteracy (even micro finance institutes are reluctant to operate in these villages).
We sincerely wish that the government will include all such villages in a sustainable rehabilitation programme.
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