WOMEN’S HEROIC CONTRIBUTION IN BANGLADESH WAR OF LIBERATION VIS-A-VIS PRESERVING THE HISTORY: AN APPRAISAL

Abstract

Bangladesh appeared on the world map in 1971 after a nine-month-long bloody war. The brave participation of women in Bangladesh's independence war is undeniable. The study was conducted to document the participation of women and their contribution in the Liberation War. Primary and secondary sources are searched from June 2016 to January 2022. A general perception prevails among us that war means physical fighting and exchange of gunshots, bullets etc. But in reality, many other people indirectly help the fighters stand against the enemy in a war. Similarly, most of the women in Bangladesh participated in the 1971 War of Liberation (LW) sometimes directly and sometimes indirectly, but those stories were actually missing from the narratives of war history. A deeper examination at the past reveals that just two women, Captain (Dr.) Sitara Begum and Bir Protik Taramon Bibi, were named as recipients of the 676 gallantry medals. Hence, it is clearly understood that the role of women is largely ignored. On this background, this study described heroic roles of women both as combatant and non-combatant role in LW. Besides, the study found that women also actively participated in inspiring and organizing the LW, drawing media attention, creating snowball effect in morale boosting, providing medical care, and were the victims of physical torture and abuse, etc. Finally, few recommendations were made to the appropriate authority concerned for better preservation of the history comprising women’s contribution in LW.