This document summarizes an interview with Rabeya Khatun, who lived in a slum near Ramna during the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh. Rabeya worked as a sweeper in Rajarbag police lines, earning 1 taka per day. When the war started, she was frightened by the sounds of mortar, cannon and gun fire. She witnessed many girls being raped and hung, and saw many dead bodies brought from the headquarters by the Pakistani army. After the war, Rabeya felt hardship but also gained respect and love for the freedom fighters who sacrificed so much so that Bangladesh could become an independent country.

1. Prepared By:
Tanjim Rasul
ID-1016
Dept of philosophy
Jahangirnagar University

2. The liberation War
In
1971

3. Background of 1971
7th March 1971:
Bangabondhu Proclaimed:
“This Struggle is for our Freedom,
This Struggle is for our Independence.”

4. 25th March 1971:
President Yahya initiated the Searchlight in order to
restore the writ of the government.
3 million people were killed. arrested Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
on charges of Sedition

5. 26th March 1971:
Announcement of liberation War

6. Genocide:
3 million people were killed
Raped between 200,000 and 400,000 Bangladeshi women
30 million civilians became internally displaced.
991 teachers
13 journalists
49 physicians
42 lawyers
16 writers
artists
Engineers
were assassinated.

7. 16December1971:
AnewcountrystartsitsJourney

8. Detail of interviewee:
Rabeya Khatun
Birth: Unknown
Lived in a slum near Ramna
Have a Son
was a sweeper in Rajarbag police lines

9. What was your experience that time?
I was a swiper. I have a son. By swiping I earned 1 taka a day. At that time 1 kg
rice costs 75 paisa. By swiping I can afford my family. We know less about
politics then. But the political crisis frightened us sometimes…
When the war started, Sound of mortar, cannon and guns frightened me,
Sometimes I lie and acting to sleep… I saw many girls died hanging for
continuous rape. I saw many horrible dead body are brought down from the
head quarter by the panjab army…

10. How did you felt after the war?

11. Hardship of 1971:
Remembering 1971 is an important intervention in the discourse
around 1971. It examines and demonstrates clearly the brutality of
war are experienced by warriors marginalized group, especially
women and going routine violence of the silencing of the voice.
They killed all class people men, women indiscriminately even they
didn’t leave the little baby. They raped women and then they killed
them very cruelly

12. Significance:
• Got to know detail about the war
• Got a real view of the war
• Grew respect and love for the freedom fighters
• Learnt to know the actual history from various source
• Through their sacrifice we got an independent country

13. Thank You