On the night of 5th January 2024 (Bangladesh Standard Time), one of the accused of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family’s murder, Major Shariful Haque Dalim, came on live on the personal channel of “journalist” Elias Hossain. During this interview, he had to face questions about the liberation war. During one such question about the actual number of Birangonas, the raped victims of Pakistani Military Forces during the liberation war of 1971, he answered he knew only cases of two. An online campaign to mock the number of Birangonas followed on social media, claiming that the number of 2 lakh Birangonas is an inflated number by the Awami League Regime. Not only the number but at a rapid pace, this campaign moved to mock the lived experiences of the victims and the misogynist smear campaign.
Bangladesh Feminist Archives stands strongly against this false claim and denounces the mock campaign. The number of Birangonas, their horrific experiences, and the aftermath are recorded in the Government archives, in the books by the researchers, and in the written experiences of those who survived and had the courage to tell the tale, such as Ferdousi Priyobhashini. They were the victims of an organized crime perpetrated by the Pakistani Military and their local collaborators – known as Rajakars – in 1971. A significant portion of them lost their families and homes due to the stigma associated with being a rape victim. Another major portion carried children from the rape incident, who are known as War Child. Many didn’t receive Government support after the war ended, and society is still not ready to accept their stories.
We strongly condemn this absolute lie perpetrated by Mr. Shariful Haque Dalim. We also denounce any attempt, online or offline, to lighten the situation where, in reality, this was an event of trauma for the victims, who didn’t receive any help from their family, society, or the Government. We stand with the Birangonas; their stories are an absolute tale of horror that this nation had to face collectively in 1971, and we demand their recognition in the context of the liberation war.
Bangladesh Feminist Archives 