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{{use Bangladeshi English|date=February 2022}}
{{italic title}}
'''''Birangana''''' ({{lang-bn|বীরাঙ্গনা|lit=war heroine}}) is the title awarded by the [[Government of Bangladesh]] to women [[Rape during the Bangladesh Liberation War|raped]] during the [[Bangladesh Liberation War]] by the [[Pakistan army]] and their local collaborators.<ref>{{Cite news|url = http://www.thedailystar.net/supplements/victory-day-2016-special/the-birangona-beyond-her-wound-1330312|title = The Birangona beyond her wound|date = 2016-12-16|work = The Daily Star|access-date = 2017-04-21|language = en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url = http://www.dhakatribune.com/magazine/arts-letters/2016/11/11/rethinking-the-birangona/|title = Rethinking the Birangona |date = 2016-11-11|work = Dhaka Tribune|access-date = 2017-04-21|language = en-US}}</ref>

== History ==
On 16 December 1971 Bangladesh won its independence from [[Pakistan]] through the [[Bangladesh Liberation War|Bangladesh Liberation war]]. There was mass [[Rape during the Bangladesh Liberation War|rape during the Bangladesh Liberation war]] with an estimated 200,000-400,000 women were raped by [[Pakistan Army]] and their collaborators.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/leesa-gazi-/birangona-women-of-war_b_5030204.html |title=Birangona: Will the World Listen? |website=The Huffington Post |language=en-GB |access-date=2017-04-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/in-focus/the-war-not-over-yet-1380949 |title="The war is not over yet" |date=2017-03-25 |work=The Daily Star |access-date=2017-04-21 |language=en}}</ref> On 22 December 1971 the Government of Bangladesh declared women who had been raped ''Birangana'' or war-heroine.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/star-weekend/long-form/history-and-the-birangona-1380280 |title=History and the Birangona |date=2017-03-24 |work=The Daily Star |access-date=2017-04-21 |language=en}}</ref> President [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]] asked Bangladesh to "''give due honour and dignity to the women oppressed by the Pakistani army''" and called them his daughters.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Scholte |first=Marianne |date=March 2011 |title=Liberating the Women of 1971 |url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/forum/2011/march/liberating.htm |work=Forum |publisher=The Daily Star |access-date=2017-04-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q4WEBwAAQBAJ&dq=Birangona&pg=PA277 |title=Children and Global Conflict |last1=Huynh |first1=Kim |last2=D'Costa |first2=Bina |last3=Lee-Koo |first3=Katrina |date=2015-04-09 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9781107038844 |pages=277 |language=en}}</ref> 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 during abortion. This prompted the government to set up ''seba 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 the technical and humanitarian support from International Planned Parenthood, the International Abortion Research and Training Centre, and the Catholic Church.<ref>{{cite news |last=Milon |first=A. Z. M. M. M. |date=March 2012 |title=The Crime Never Considered a Crime. |url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/forum/2012/March/land.htm |work=Forum |publisher=The Daily Star}}</ref> Later, the government provided them with vocational training and launched a campaign to get them married. Which led to accusations that Bangladesh was trying to hide the ''Biranganas''.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/healing-the-hidden-wounds-of-war-53558 |title=Healing the Hidden Wounds of War |date=2014-12-05 |work=The Daily Star |access-date=2017-04-21 |language=en}}</ref> The ''Biranganas'' have often been ostracised by society and their family members.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/shedding-the-cloak-of-invisibility-10033 |title=Shedding the Cloak of Invisibility |date=2014-02-07 |work=The Daily Star |access-date=2017-04-21 |language=en}}</ref>

Women Rights activists have called for the ''Birangana'' to be declared Freedom Fighters ([[Mukti Bahini]]).<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-260327 |title=Say freedom fighter, not 'Birangona' |date=2012-12-08 |work=The Daily Star |access-date=2017-04-21 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/war-heroine-rahela-still-at-war-with-life-7914 |title=War heroine Rahela still at war with life |date=2014-01-22 |work=The Daily Star |access-date=2017-04-21 |language=en}}</ref> [[Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association|Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association]] and Mitali Hossain filled a petition with [[Bangladesh High court|Bangladesh High Court]] to upgrade the status of ''Birangana''. On 27 January 2014, the High Court asked the government of Bangladesh why it should not be directed to do so.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/hc-for-birangonas-social-status-8711 |title=HC for Birangona's social status |date=2014-01-27 |work=The Daily Star |access-date=2017-04-21 |language=en}}</ref> In January 2015 the parliament of Bangladesh approved a proposal to upgrade the status of ''Birangana'' to freedom fighter status. On 23 October 2015 Bangladesh government for the first time declared 43 ''Birangana'', Freedom Fighters. [[Liberation War Affairs Minister]] [[AKM Mozammel Haque]] said that now they would enjoy the same government benefits as Freedom Fighters.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://archive.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2015/oct/13/41-birangonas-get-freedom-fighter-status |title=41 Birangonas get Freedom Fighter status |work=Dhaka Tribune |language=en |access-date=2017-04-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170422132434/http://archive.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2015/oct/13/41-birangonas-get-freedom-fighter-status |archive-date=2017-04-22 |url-status=dead}}</ref> With the latest inclusion in December 2020, a total of 400 ''Biranganas'' received the status of freedom fighters.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2020-12-16 |title=Sixty-one more recognised as Biranganas |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/news/sixty-one-more-recognised-biranganas-2011961 |access-date=2021-06-30 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}</ref> Sixteen ''Biranganas'' were added to the list at the 73rd meeting of the National Freedom Fighter Council taking the total number to 416 in June 2021.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-06-12 |title=Government recognizes 16 more Biranganas as freedom fighters |url=https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/government-affairs/2021/06/12/government-recognizes-16-more-biranganas-as-freedom-fighters |access-date=2021-06-30 |work=Dhaka Tribune}}</ref>

== Artistic depictions ==
*  ''[[Birangona: Women of War]]'' is a play by the British theatre group, the Komola Collective and [[Leesa Gazi]].<ref>{{Cite news|url = https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2014/apr/15/silence-bangladesh-birangona-women-of-war-play|title = Bangladesh's Birangona women: 'Tell the world our story'|last = Anam|first = Tahmima|date = 2014-04-15|work = The Guardian|access-date = 2017-04-21|language = en-GB|issn = 0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url = http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/arts-culture-news/preview-birangona-women-war-comes-7053136|title = Harrowing war story at The Drum in Aston|last = Mail|first = Birmingham|date = 2014-04-30|work = birminghammail|access-date = 2017-04-21}}</ref>
* ''[[Ami Birangona Bolchhi]]'' (I am Birangona speaking) is a book by [[Nilima Ibrahim]] which had several stories that she had collected from rape victims.<ref>{{Cite news|url = http://www.thedailystar.net/supplements/independence-day-2016/war-heroine-i-speak-1199590|title = As a War Heroine, I Speak|date = 2016-03-26|work = The Daily Star|access-date = 2017-04-21|language = en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url = http://www.thedailystar.net/in-focus/the-burden-dishonour-1199632|title = The Burden of Dis/honour|date = 2016-03-26|work = The Daily Star|access-date = 2017-04-21|language = en}}</ref>
* ''[https://www.amazon.com/War-Heroines-Speak-Bangladeshi-Independence-ebook/dp/B08T1BGDHG War Heroines Speak]'' is the English translation of '' Ami Birangona Bolchi '' by Dr. Nusrat Rabbee
* [http://birangana.org/ Birangana a Grass Root level organization in South 24 Pgs, India]
*''Seam'' is a poetry book by [[Tarfia Faizullah]] that focuses on rape in the Bangladesh Liberation war and the Birangana.<ref>{{Cite news|url = http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2014/08/tarfia_faizullah_s_book_of_poems_seam_reviewed.html|title = The Book of Injustice|last = Farmer|first = Jonathan|date = 2014-08-06|work = Slate|access-date = 2017-04-21|language = en-US|issn = 1091-2339}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Courage awards]]
[[Category:Aftermath of the Bangladesh Liberation War]]
[[Category:Military awards and decorations of Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Rape in Asia]]

Birangana - Revision history

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