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Women in Frontal Wars: TheLiberation War of Bangladesh 1971

Shaheen Afroze

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Introduction• War mostly studied from a perspective reflecting

overt male chauvinism and ego-centrism• War is a man’s domain• In the narratives of the Liberation War of

Bangladesh in 1971, women are visible onlywhen depicted as victims

• Not objectively portrayed• No list of women freedom fighters• Out of the total of 676 gallantry awards, only two

to women• Bir Protiks - Taramon Bibi and Dr. Sitara Begum

Rahman

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• At the cost of the blood of thirty lakhShaheeds (Martyrs) and the izzat(dignity/chastity) of two lakh women’

• The former speaks about the role of the malefreedom fighters who lost lives during the war,whereas the latter about the women asvictims

• Gives impression that only men can attainmartyrdom, and that for a women such astatus is unattainable

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• Appearance of women - nothing more thancompensatory writing

• Mere subchapters, footnotes or appendix• Not enough• Needs further embellishment through proper

historical facts• Cannot remain emptied of women’s role and

contribution as warriors

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Basic Argument• Predominant role of men cannot be denied• History of Bangladesh would be marked to

some extent by unfairness if the role ofwomen is excluded from this war

• Total surrender to male chauvinism• Incomplete if women’s role remains in

amnesia• Inclusion of gender analysis - order of the day• War will look more human

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Research Questions• What it was like for women to be freedom

fighters• Their accomplishments• Motivation factors for women to join the war

as combatants• Socio-economic background• Their experiences• Any gender discrimination/harassment• Any decision- making power?• Notion of a state• Benefits - material/psychological/moral

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Existing Literature

• Little research as actors in more war-relatedfunctions

• Peripheral in nature• Effects of war on women and the atrocities

suffered and endured during the war andaftermath

• Simplistic division of roles between men as'doer' of the war and women as helpless'victims'

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• Support service role of women• Women and peace building• Women - victims of war• Strive for peace• Human rights and portray women as ‘weak

and vulnerable’• Deny them agency• Reflects and reinforces their stereotyped

images

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Literature on Liberation War ofBangladesh

• Background of the war• Military in nature• Theory and methodology• Roles of the diasporas• No mention of women freedom fighters• Very recent and partial endeavours• Theme of victimisation predominates• Deserve recognition

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Why such invisibility?

• Women work for peace and men wage war –cooperative women, conflictual men

• Just warrior and women as the beautiful souls• False images• Constructed concepts – ‘nation’ and

‘nationalism’, ‘state’, ‘citizenship’, ‘rights’ and‘duties’

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Why such invisibility?

• Interventions as nationalists• Stereotypical association of women with

peace and the care taker/nurturerconstruction is inadequate

• More than beautiful souls and victims• New picture of what women do, where they

are located and how they are treated

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• Case Study I: Alamtaj Begum Chhabi• Peyara Bagan camp in Barisal• Sector nine under the leadership of Major Jalil• Extensive training in arms and instruction in

weapons and combat techniques from her co-fighters

• First operation near the Shondha river in Kurianaunder the leadership of Siraj Sikder

• Another operation near the Gabkhan river• Operation in Peyara Bagan• Underground activities

Locating the Women in the War: CaseStudies

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Case Study II: Halima Perveen

• First operation in May when they launched anattack on Bagharpara Thana (Police Outpost)and looted their arms and ammunitions

• Another operation at Sheikh-er-Bazaar• Fierce fighting in Srirampur School Camp• Captured by Pak. Army while fighting and

taken to Jessore Cantonment

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Aftermath of the War

• Period of recounting• Role of women as frontline freedom fighters

would remain in silence• No cut-off point

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CONCLUSION

• All male cast• May be infinitesimal number of women who

fought with weapons• Very limited space to them only as victims and

sustainers• ‘Those who forget the past are condemned to

re-live it’ should act as an eye-opener for us

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