Taramon Bibi is one of the two decorated female freedom fighters in Bangladesh

Bangladesh

Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...

, and the only one of them to have engaged in direct combat. She fought for the Mukti Bahini

Mukti Bahini

Mukti Bahini , also termed as the "Freedom Fighters" or FFs, collectively refers to the armed organizations who fought against the Pakistan Army during the Bangladesh Liberation War. It was dynamically formed by Bengali regulars and civilians after the proclamation of Bangladesh's independence on...

 (Liberation Army) which was a guerilla force that fought against the Pakistan

Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

 military in during Bangladesh War of Independence

Bangladesh Liberation War

The Bangladesh Liberation War was an armed conflict pitting East Pakistan and India against West Pakistan. The war resulted in the secession of East Pakistan, which became the independent nation of Bangladesh....

 in 1971.

She fought in her village home in Shankar Madhabpur, Kurigram District

Kurigram District

Kurigram is a district in Northern Bangladesh. It is located in the Rangpur Division.-Geography:Kurigram District is located in the northern region of Bangladesh along the border of India. The area of this district is 2,296.10 km² and population is 1,782,277...

. She was in Sector 11 under the leadership of Sector commander Abu Taher

Abu Taher

Lieutenant Colonel Abu Taher a communist and a left-leaning radical activist of the Jatiyo Samajtantrik Dal, responsible for the Soldiers Uprising and the radical breakout that occurred in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh on Nov 7th 1975...

. After the war, she was awarded honored with the title Bir Protik

Bir Protik

Bir Protik is the fourth highest gallantry award in Bangladesh .-Recipients:This award was declared on 15 December 1973...

 (Symbol of Valor) by the Bangladesh government. But her whereabouts were unknown and the award was never handed over to her. She herself remained unaware of this until 1995, when a researcher from Mymensingh

Mymensingh

Mymensingh , pronounced moy-mon-shing-haw, is a city of Bangladesh situated on the river Brahmaputra. It is the headquarters of the administrative unit Mymensingh District. Mymensingh is the anglicized pronunciation of the original name Momenshahi, referring to a ruler called Momen Shah. The cadet...

 discovered her. She was finally given her award by the Prime Minister of Bangladesh on December 19, 1995.

External links and references

• Tales of Endurance and Courage "Bir Protik Taramon Bibi fought against Pakistanis in the liberation war in her village home in Shankar Madhabpur Kurigram. She was in Sector 11 under the leadership of Sector commander Abu Taher
  Abu Taher
  Lieutenant Colonel Abu Taher a communist and a left-leaning radical activist of the Jatiyo Samajtantrik Dal, responsible for the Soldiers Uprising and the radical breakout that occurred in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh on Nov 7th 1975...
  
  , Bir Uttam. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
  Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
  Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a Bengali nationalist politician and the founder of Bangladesh. He headed the Awami League, served as the first President of Bangladesh and later became its Prime Minister. He headed the Awami League, served as the first President of Bangladesh and later became its...
  
  's Government honoured her with the Bir Protik
  Bir Protik
  Bir Protik is the fourth highest gallantry award in Bangladesh .-Recipients:This award was declared on 15 December 1973...
  
   title in 1973, for her courageous role in resisting the Pakistan occupation force with weapons."
• Bangladesh Observer September 28, 2003 "Taramon Bibi, Bir Pratik, 50, has sought government assistance for her better treatment as doctors termed the health condition of the 1971 Liberation War veteran as alarming, reports BSS."