Birangona (Bengali:বীরাঙ্গনা,lit. 'war heroine') is the title awarded by theGovernment of Bangladesh to womenraped during theBangladesh Liberation War by thePakistan army,Razakar paramilitaries, and their local collaborators.[1][2]
On 16 December 1971, Bangladesh won its independence fromPakistan through theBangladesh Liberation War. There was massrape during the Bangladesh Liberation War, with an estimated 200,000-400,000 women raped by thePakistani Army and their collaborators.[3][4] On 22 December 1971 the Government of Bangladesh declared the titleBirangona, or war-heroine for the women who had been raped during this time.[5] PresidentSheikh Mujibur Rahman asked Bangladesh to "give due honour and dignity to the women oppressed by the Pakistani army" and called them his daughters.[6][7] Yet, many of them committed suicide, a section of them left the country to work as servants abroad, and a great many were killed in the hands of the unskilled mid-wives trying to abortwar babies. This prompted the government to set upseba sadans (service homes) to give them clinical support. Kendrio Mohila Punorbashon Songstha (Central Women Rehabilitation Organization) was established in January 1972 to rehabilitate these violated women with technical and humanitarian support fromInternational Planned Parenthood, the International Abortion Research and Training Centre, and theCatholic Church; notable activists at the homes included the poetSufia Kamal and the social workerMaleka Khan[8] Later, the government provided them withvocational training and launched a campaign to get them married. This led to accusations that Bangladesh was trying to hide theBirangonas.[9] TheBirangonas have often been ostracised by society and their family members.[10]
Activists forwomen's rights have called for theBirangona to be declared Freedom Fighters (Mukti Bahini).[11][12]Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association and Mitali Hossain filled a petition with theBangladesh High Court to upgrade the status ofBirangona. On 27 January 2014, the High Court asked the government of Bangladesh why it should not be directed to do so.[13] In January 2015, theparliament of Bangladesh approved a proposal to upgrade the status ofBirangona to freedom fighter status. On 23 October 2015, the Bangladesh government declared 43Birangona to have been Freedom Fighters for the first time.Liberation War Affairs MinisterAKM Mozammel Haque said that they would now enjoy the same government benefits as Freedom Fighters.[14] With the latest inclusion in December 2020, a total of 400Birangonas received the status of freedom fighters.[15] SixteenBirangonas were added to the list at the 73rd meeting of the National Freedom Fighter Council, taking the total number to 416 in June 2021.[16]