Sakhina Begum, a veteran freedom fighter (Bir Muktijoddha) from Kishoreganj, passed away early Tuesday morning at the age of 92. She died of old age in Baromaipara, Hilchia, Bajitpur Upazila, where she had been living with her niece’s family.
Sakhina is remembered as one of the few women who actively participated in armed resistance during the 1971 Liberation War. Widowed before the war and childless, she joined the Mukti Bahini’s Basu Bahini camp as a cook, while also gathering intelligence on the movements of Pakistani forces and local collaborators (Razakars). After being captured and escaping captivity, she famously killed five Razakars with a machete, now preserved at the Liberation War Museum in Dhaka with her name engraved.
Her legacy stands as a rare testament to women’s direct role in Bangladesh’s liberation. Local residents and fellow freedom fighters remember her with deep respect for her fearless resistance. Her contributions remain a powerful reminder that the fight for freedom was waged by both men and women, often at immense personal cost.
Bangladesh Feminist Archives 