War heroine Ganobala breaks into tears when she recalls the horrible days of torture on her by the Pakistani soldiers during the War of Liberation.
“The Pakistan military killed my husband in front of me and took me to their camp beside the Teesta Railway Bridge, where I was tortured by them every day,” said Ganobala Barmoni, 76, of Teesta Baraitari village in Gokunda union under Sadar upazila. “I could somehow escape from the camp a few days later,” she added.
“I was declared satibhrasta (defiled) by my relatives and the villagers as I was captured by the Pakistan army and I was not allowed to live with them in the village,” she said, adding that she had to take shelter in a Muslim's house.
Ganobala said she took shelter in a nearby village where she has been working as a housemaid. She, however, said she has regular communication with her children. She has requested the government to recognise her as a freedom fighter.
The war heroine has been earning her livelihood working as a domestic help in different houses in the area as she became homeless after the War of Liberation.
Assistant Commander of District Muktijoddha Sangsad Command Mozammel Haque said Ganobala's husband Shashi Mohan Barmon was a village doctor who organised young people in the area to join the War of Liberation. Shashi also sent them to the training camps in India during the freedom struggle, he added.
Mozammel said the Pakistan soldiers killed Shashi and took his wife to their camp.
“We appealed several times to the ministry concerned to recognise Ganobala as a freedom fighter, without any response,” he added.
Tofazzal Hossain Tofa, in whose house Ganobala stays, said he gave shelter to her as she was disowned by her relatives. “We never asked her to work in the house but she works on her own as she doesn't want to sit idle,” Tofa said, adding that he is proud of war heroine Ganobala.
Hindu leader, also cultural activist at Teesta village Makhon Lal Das, said her relatives and the villagers were wrong to send her away from the village as there is no religious custom to declare a birangana as a satibhrasta. The authorities concerned should take steps to recognise war heroine Ganobala Barmoni as a freedom fighter, he appealed.
Ganobala Barmoni now dreams of being called a freedom fighter, but she does not know if and when her dream will come true!