Monowara Begum was a seventh-grader in 1971 when she was brutally tortured by the Pakistani army during the War of Liberation.
Despite returning from the Pakistani camp, from the jaws of certain death, acknowledgement as a “Birangana” has not yet come to her.
According to sources, Monowara, from Badla village of Babuganj upazila of Barisal, is now suffering from various diseases due to old age. She doesn’t even get to eat properly.
She resides in a broken house in Ambikapur union in Faridpur. She is spending her days on her husband's pension money and making her own works of art with coloured cloth and plastic.
Monowara, who was tortured during the war, respects Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman like a father.
“Bangabandhu recognized the oppressed women. Although I am not recognized, I am not angry at anyone. No one wants mercy in the final stage of her life.”
Her last wish is to hand over a handmade artwork on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, woven with needle and thread for three years, to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Monowara broke down in tears as she described the brutal torture she suffered at the hands of the Pakistan army. She said: “When the liberation war started, one day the Pakistani military entered our village and set it on fire.”
“Seeing the fire all around, my grandmother told me to run away. I hid behind a big tree and lay down there. After a while, a soldier grabbed me by my hair and took me to a camp.”
She mentioned that every night he would take the girls and young women to different camps. “There, four or five people of the Pakistani army used to torture us late at night.”
“Although I was sick, I could not get rid of them. We were not allowed to wear sari and veils so that no one could commit suicide. I have seen the death of many girls before my eyes,” she added.
Monowara said one day she saw that there was no military and all the women were admitted to Barisal General Hospital. “I had to have surgery on my genitals.”
Later, she returned home but was not allowed to enter the house as her father threw her out.
‘As I was walking on an unknown path, a pedestrian sold me at Bagerhat. After a year there, I was settled in a sex village of Faridpur. I got married to a policeman there. I have a daughter,” said Monowara.
Kamruzzaman Sumon, her grandson, said: "I have visited Faridpur and Barisal’s relevant departments about my grandmother’s recognition but to no avail.”
In this regard, Abul Fayez Shahnewaz, the former commander of Faridpur District Freedom Fighters' Parliament, said there was no documentary evidence about the recognition of Monowara as her place of incident is in Barisal.
“Even then we contacted the Faridpur Sadar UNO Masudul Alam on our behalf regarding this issue. He sincerely recommended it to the UNO concerned.”
He further said Monwara Begum's last wish was to meet the prime minister. “This is a matter for the administration. In that case, if we need any corroboration, we will definitely be by her side.”