A theatre production “Birangona: Brave Woman” was premiered at the Liberation War Museum on August 29. The play is based on the untold tragedy of the brave women who were brutally raped and tortured by the Pakistani Army in the 1971 Bangladesh War of Independence. The theatre troupe has created a “Research and Development” theatrical piece, based on real stories of Birangona women’s first-hand accounts. A following performance will take place on September 1 at the EMK Center, Dhanmondi, at 7:00 pm.
The show began by screening a documentary story based on the real incidents of Birangonas by Komola Collective, a London-based theatre and arts company.
The protagonist played a number of heart-rending characters that represent different Birangonas. Each incident portrayed brilliantly through attention grabbing storytelling technique and the audience could connect to the pain and heartbreak felt by the victims.
The dialogues of the stories are immensely powerful, which conveyed to the audience in a loud and clear manner, their horrific state and exploitation. When the performer mentioned “We lost our honour,” it explains how they were treated like a lifeless leaf and their existence were not counted for, by the Pak armies.
They were shamed at every turn not only by rape, but also with prude name calling such as “kutta,” which means dog. The sadist pitiless Pak armies seemed to gain unholy pleasure out of the screams and pain of the poor souls and rule over them.
The lights on stage are used as medium of language. When a Birangona emerge in the “red colour” at the stage, it is well depicted that bloodshed of the Birangona occurred, showing their distress and loss of dignity.
The passage of forty-two years did not deem their memory of the abuse and violence they faced. Yet, the unnerving stories are not being brought out in the open, around 200,000 women and girls were raped and still their sacrifice is not identified yet.The show aims to give them the proper honour with the label of “Freedom Figters,” as their sacrifice was equal to that of other freedom fighters.
History tells that in war, the women are the most vulnerable, as their dignity has been compromised, time and again. It was same in the case of 1971 Liberation War, the women were exploited and considered less of a human being. Rather than portraying them as victims, the play is a brilliant initiative to depict these women as the spirit of the country, which the Pakistani army wanted to destroy. The women were fragile but their determination to live is a cause worthy of admiration and should be applauded.
Komola Collective is a company dedicated to telling the stories that often go untold - stories from women’s perspective. Performed by Leesa Gazi, written by Samina Luthfa and directed by Filiz Ozcan, the theatre troupe came up with this outstanding and praiseworthy production through extensive research to challenge social taboos.
The show will be screened in UK in November 2013 and March-April 2014 to highlight these unsung war heroines.
