Mahir Abrar
History is written by the victors. The Mongols are remembered for their barbarity because their history was written by those they defeated in battle. The Mongols were capable administrators, who encouraged trade, bought stability to the lands they conquered and provided freedom of religion.
As Mongols were not writers they did not a need a written language. Similar to that the contributions of women are often ignored as men tend to be the majority of historians. There has been a trend towards rediscovering notable women from history and following that trend; here are five truely inspirational Bengali women.
Hariprobha Takeda married a Dhaka based Japanese businessman, Wemon Takeda, in 1907. In that time when very few Bengali women had traveled outside of the region, she travelled all the way to Japan with her husband. During World War Two, she worked for the Imperial Japanese Army. She broadcasted messages for the Indian National Army led by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. During the bombing of Tokyo by allied forces, she dodged bombs and moved around at night at reach the radio office. She moved to West Bengal after the death of her husband. She published a memoir based on her time in Japan called Bongo Mohilar Japan Jatra, a Bengali woman’s journey to Japan.
Shirin Banu Mitil was studying at Pabna Edward College when the Bangladesh Liberation war started. Driven by a sense of duty and patriotism she wanted to join the frontlines of the war but could not because if being a woman. Her cousin suggested her dress like a man like freedom fighter Pritilata Waddedar. Shirin disguised herself as man by wearing her brother’s clothes and fought in the Liberation war.
She fought valiantly in Sector-9 under the command of Major M A Jalil. She was in charge of the Mukti Bahini control room during the battle at Nagarbari in Pabna District. She was the President of the Pabna District unit of Chhatra Union. She lived in the USSR for a brief while after the end of the war. She was a member of the Communist Party of Bangladesh and Forum for Secular Bangladesh.
Nurunnessa Khatun was born in Murshidabad in 1894. She, like most women of her time in Bengal, was not allowed to receive an education by her parents. She started learning after her marriage and with the support of her husband Qazi Golam Mohammad. Her husband was a lawyer who had to travel around due to his job. She travelled with her husband which allowed her to visit many different places.
Inspired by her travels she started writing. She published Swapna-Drasta in 1923 which made her the first published female Muslim novelist of Bengal. She wrote more books, including historical novels, and poems. She was the President of Bangiya Moslem Mahila Sangha, an organization of Bengali Muslim women. For her contribution to Bengali literature she was awarded the title Vidyavinodini by the Nikhil Bharat Banga Sahitya Sammelan. She moved to Dhaka after the Partion of India. She was vocal activist for women’s empowerment.
Suniti Choudhury and Santi Ghose were Indian revolutionaries who at the age of 14 and 15 assassinated the Comilla District magistrate Charles Stevens. Santi was from Kolkata and Suniti was from Comilla. Santi’s father was a Comilla Victoria Government College. The two girls meet while studying at the Faizunnesa Girls' School.
They joined Jugantar, a revolutionary movement that sought to remove British rule from India through violence. On 14 December 1931, they walked into the office of Charles Stevens with a petition for a swimming competition. They shot Stevens while he was reviewing the document.
They were caught and charged as minors. Suniti and Santi were released in 1939 as part of Gandhi’s negotiations with the British. Suniti went on to become a doctor after being released. Santi would go to become a politician and served a number of terms in the West Bengal Legislative Council and the West Bengal Legislative Assembly.
Mahir Abrar is a lecturer, American International University-Bangladesh
