Tale of a brave soul

Bir Protik Taramon Bibi. Photo: Star

Female freedom fighter, Bir Protik (Symbol of Bravery of Courage is the fourth highest gallantry award in Bangladesh) Taramon Bibi was out of sight for a long time. An investigator found her in 1990 and introduced her to Bangladesh.
Taramon Bibi resides in Shankar-Madhobpur village of Kodalkati union under Rajibpur upazila of Kurigram district. Before being introduced, she worked as house maid and passed her life with hardship. She carried illness in several times of the year.
After an investigation by a historian, an enthusiasm was created in the country. Following that the heroic woman was given a reception by the government.
The freedom fighter Bir Protik Taramon Bibi often passes her time through recollecting memories of the liberation war in 1971. She was born in a poor family of the village and was about 14 years old during the war. Rajibpur area (Upazila) was under sector No. 11 during the liberation war. Roumari Thana was only one free region then.
Freedom fighters formed the first camp in Abdul Aziz Master's home in the Sankar-Madhobpur village in Roumari Thana. A cook was needed for the freedom fighters. Taramon Bibi's cousin Khalil Islam requested her mother to cook for the fighters in the camp. Her mother Kulsum Bibi asked, “Who would take care of her responsibility in the camp?” Because of her mother's anxiety, a freedom fighter named Muhib Habilder became her godfather. Taramon took the job. She used to cook about one mound of rice in the camp every day. The rice with curry was sent to three camps.
Her involvement in the liberation war started this way. After some days, the camp was shifted to Insaf Ali's home to the nearest village of the Thana. Later, the camp was shifted four times in various areas while she was associated with freedom fighters.
Her daily duties involved cooking, washing clothes, placing arms in camps, listening to radio massages and finding traces of invaders.
One day, her father Muhib Habilder proposed Taramon to learn using firearms. Being young and female, at first she was not confident enough to take up arms.
Then her new fighting life was started. She was introduced about different types of firearms. She started with Rifles – the recoil effect of the rifle shook her physically ­– she felt a pain in her chest.
Learning to use Rifle, she told her foster father, “Baba, I shall fight beside you against Pakistan army. The time she took decision to join the fighting, Pakistan army was attacking from different sides. Then freedom fighters were staying in the fifth camp which was at Ketantari Uchu Paira area of Roumari Thana.
Taramon was perfect for investigative work. She took an intelligent method to infiltrate the enemy camp – she played a village fool – rubbing black ink on her face, she used to the camps to beg for food.
Being irritated by her commotion, the soldiers used to throw brads at her to drive her away from the camp.
With this innovative method, she managed to gather vital information about the position and approximate numbers of soldiers in a camp. The information always turned out to be crucial against fighting the enemy. At times she used to accompany freedom fighters for during battles.
During the glorious independence of Bangladesh in 1971, Taramon was in Kalasona Ketontari camp in Roumari. Later, she along with her foster father Muhib Habilder Joydebhpur Army Cantonment to hand over their firearms. After that, Taramon lived under the care of Muhib for about one year.
Later, she returned back to her father's house in Sankar Madhobpur village under Roumari thana in Kurigram.
Taramon Bibi said, “I remember all freedom fighters for who I cooked for and the freedom fighters I fought with. I tell the tales of those days to anyone who wants know about those days. There were days when there was no food in the camp, and there were days without sleep, but their faces were always with smile with vigor – they vowed to their mother land to give it all”.
She regrets that many freedom fighters are still passing their lives with hardship, which is a shame, she said.