1. One female can fulfill the requirement of a male in all aspects if she has intense desire. The best example was set during our Liberation War in1971. The contribution of women in our Liberation War is immense and undeniable. Many brave female warriors participated brilliantly during Liberation War. They were in the role of medical care, front fighter, guerilla fighter, supporting from back, acted as informer etc. Once the women joined the Liberation War, member of our Armed Forces, specially officers and other ranks of Army, took the leading role to make them warrior by providing training or taking them in the operation. Armed Forces members also kept vital role to motivate the females to join the Liberation War. Here the discussion will be limited to only few female freedom fighters who were involved in medical service, participated in frontal battle and acted as informer.
2. Bir Protik Lieutenant (Later Captain) Sitara Begum is from Kishoreganj and passed MBBS from Dhaka Medical College. She joined the Pakistan Army in 1970 as Lieutenant in the Medical Corps. During the Liberation War, she was posted in Cumilla Cantonment along with her brother Major Haider. She and her family moved to Meghalaya once the Liberation War started. One hospital for freedom fighters was located inside India and she was appointed as the commanding officer of the hospital. The hospital had an operation theatre where she gave treatment to war-wounded freedom fighters. She used to carry hand grenades during the war. Despite the shortage of medicines and medical equipment, she accomplished impossible tasks in the hospital and none died in the hospital except one. Her contribution made the wounded freedom fighters' morale high.
3. Fauzia Moslem was from Dhaka and performed the role of a physician during Liberation War. Students formed different committees during freedom movement and she was involved in those committees. Her husband Saifuddin Ahmed had no trace. Then she went to Agartala with her newly born baby. She gave nursing service to the injured freedom fighters keeping her infant child in the hostel. She used to do medical checkups for freedom fighters. She also collected medicine for health center. Whenever the freedom fighters were injured, she would rush and heal them with her nursing service.
4. Momtaz Begum Shelly was from Dinajpur and student of class twelve. She went to India once she thought that her father was killed by Pakistan invaders. She provided nursing service to the freedom fighters without having any knowledge of medical science. She learnt the treatment from other doctors and applied the lesson when the freedom fighters were injured. She rushed to next refugee camp where 15-20 persons died by cholera and made others cure by providing vaccination.
5. Princha Khey is a Rakhine woman who participated in the Liberation War bravely. She performed the duty of nurse in various camps of freedom fighters. One day, she was captured by Pakistani force and they started brutal torture on her. At one stage, she collected poison secretly. She mixed the poison in the food of Pakistan soldiers and killed fifteen of them.
6. Sandhya Rani Sangma and Verenika Simsang were member of Garo community of Tangail district. Sandhya was a second-year nursing student during Liberation War. Sandhya went to Meghalaya along with her distant sister Verenika Simsang. Then they were brought to Joyramkura (Haluaghat) nursing hospital by doctor Premangkur Roy. This nursing hospital was under sector eleven and Captain Mannan was the in-charge officer. The hospital provided medical services to the sick and injured freedom fighters where Sandha and Verenika participated actively. They also provided medical services to the freedom fighters in Sherpur.
7. Bir Protik Taramon Bibi was from Kurigram. She was fourteen years old when she joined Liberation War. She fought bravely with weapons against the Pakistan army in sector eleven under the leadership of sector commander Major Abu Taher. She was brought to camp mainly for cooking and cleaning purpose. Then Havildar Muhib recruited her as freedom fighter by seeing her brevity. Havildar Muhib taught her everything about arms and tactics. Shortly, she could know how to operate weapon. It really astonished all the members of Havildar Muhib's camp. All members of the camp praised her for being a good marksman. She never thought about the involvement of risks while going for operation.
8. Khasia woman Kakon Bibi (original name'Kaket Hennyata') was another renowned freedom fighter from Sunamganj who had infinite courage. Initially, she collected information by taking guise of beggar. She joined the Liberation War in sector five. Her sector commander was Major Mir Shawkat Ali. She used to take care of the freedom fighters. Then she started to supply weapons and ammunitions to the freedom fighters. She directly participated in twenty frontal battles. At one stage, she was captured by Pakistan invaders and was tortured for seven days. Kakon could anyhow escape from the tortured camp once she went to toilet for natural call.
9. Fatema Begum and Halima Khatun (both sixteen years old) were from Bagharpara, Jashore. One day Lieutenant Matiur Rahman came from Narail to inspire the female freedom fighters and chosen both of them by observing their courage. Lieutenant Matiur attacked Bagharparathana where Fatema and Halima participated actively and looted sixteen rifles. They attacked Razakar based Pakistan camp twice in May 1971. Both of them were captured by Pakistan force on 25 June and tortured them for six months in Jashore cantonment. Once Jashore was freed from the enemy in first week of December, they also came out from captivity.
10. Anowara Begum was a student of Patuakhali government college during Liberation War. She took training with other freedom fighters in Patuakhali jubilee college ground. She fought in sector nine under direct command of Major Ziauddin. She fought in Sundarban, Sharankhola, Namajpur and Tushkhali area. She rescued many women who were captive in Fatrarchar area.
11. Shirin Banu Mitil took part in the Liberation War in Pabna district. She was a college girl and used to keep her in disguise like boy. When Pakistan force captured Pabna, she went to Kolkata and took training as nurse. She had to face numerous problems during combat due to her disguise. She participated in the Liberation War under Major Jalil as a nurse. She fought bravely in the frontline with her male freedom fighters. She was a symbol of heroism to the people of Kushtia and Jashore.
12. Karuna Begum was a courageous freedom fighter from Barishal. She was the commander of female freedom fighters of Muladi camp. She was expert to operate rifle, grenade and explosives. She successfully fought in different places of Gouronadi. At one stage, she was given responsibility to fight in a village named Mahilara where the Pakistan army were staying. She attacked Mahilara along with more than 20 freedom fighters, but couldn't sustain for long time. After fighting five to six hours, one bullet hit her right leg and was evacuated by other freedom fighters.
13. Jahanara Parvin Shova was another female fighter from Barishal and participated in Liberation War under sector nine. She joined with the freedom fighters when her husband was killed by the Pakistan invaders. She made one suicide squad along with two females named Bithika and Monika. 'Kuriwana operation' was the most illustrated operation where she participated. She threw grenade to Pakistani speed boat and it was destroyed where few members of Pakistan army were captured.
14. Ashalata Baidya, from Faridpur, was a student of class nine when she took part in Liberation War. She formed a female fighter's squad of forty-five persons. Local commander Hemayet Uddin trained her. She fought face to face with the Pakistan army in Ghaghor and Kotalipara. She participated more than twenty operations during Liberation War.
15. Joynab Begum, who was from Mirzapur (Tangail), acted as informer during Liberation War. She participated in language movement while she was in class five. She joined with freedom fighters in Kalihati camp. She used to provide information to freedom fighters about the enemy trench and location of bridges in Dhaka-Madhupur highway. Accordingly, freedom fighters attacked those places. She also provided food to the freedom fighters.
16. Female members of Bangladesh Armed Forces are well motivated and inspired by the heroism of female freedom fighters. They are becoming motivated from the patriotism, dedication, sacrifice and patience of our female freedom fighters. All the members of Army Medical Corps (AMC) are motivated by the sacrifice and heroic activities of Captain (Retired) Sitara. She is the icon to the female officers and soldiers of Army Medical Corps. Female members are also being deployed in United Nations peacekeeping operation in different countries. Significant numbers of female officers and soldiers have already participated in peacekeeping missions where they are facing lots of hurdles, including risking their lives. They are participating in the activities of in-aid-to civil power deployment for any necessity of the country. Female members are also doing the toughest army commando training where mental endurance and patience are highly required. They overcome all types of hurdles taking inspiration from the heroic activities of our female freedom fighters.
17. The Liberation War of 1971 was not the product of any single effort. Victory of Liberation War was the joint effort of common people. Both men and women played active role from their respective places. It is well recognized that the contribution of female freedom fighters during our Liberation War was immense and outstanding. Female members of our Armed Forces are moving ahead taking the lessons and inspirations from our heroic female freedom fighters. (This article is re-printed due to technical glitch- Editor)
The writer is an Army Officer
