RANGPUR, Dec 01, 2018 (BSS) – Gallantry award winning freedom fighter Taraman Bibi spent years in oblivion after 1971 but she visibly died with a sense of dignity thanks to government care for her comfort that she acknowledged in a recent interview with BSS.
“At this last stage of my life, I am very happy and fully satisfied,” Taraman, the Liberation time adolescent spy who later turned to be a direct front line soldier with guns, said as BSS correspondent Mamun Islam approached her a little over two months ago.
She said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina did everything possible to pay her welfare and honour and inducting her only son and only son in law in government jobs.
“I always feel the warmth of her (Sheikh Hasina’s) love, affection and touch . . . she embraced me on several occasions and enquired my whereabouts,” said Taramon.
Particularly, she said while suffering from chronic diseases a couple of months back “I felt so pleasant when Hasina embraced me as an elder sister and being daughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman”.
Taraman was in her adolescence as the Liberation War broke out when she got her engaged with freedom fighters as their cook in the frontline kitchen.
Soon she found for her a crucial task of being a spy to gather information about the occupation forces barracks and thereafter she was provided weapon training to fight in battles under Sector 11 commanded by Colonel Abu Taher.
She recalled it was Habilder Muhib at Char Rajibpur Muktijoddha Camp who inspired her to be a freedom fighter while she was living at Shankar Madhobpur village of Rajibpur upazila in Kurigram with her poor widow mother as her father died long ago.
The post independence Bangabandhu government awarded her with Bir Pritik gallantry award, a rare honour for women freedom fighters, but for years she was unaware about the acknowledgement of her role.
“After independence, I returned to my village Sankar Madhobpur. I got married to Abdul Mazid in 1974,” she said but recalled it was abject poverty which made the life of her family miserable.
Liberation War researcher Bimal Kanti of Mymensingh virtually rediscovered her in 1995 when she was formally given the ‘Bir Pratik’ award with Taka 25,000 on December 19, 1995 from the government.
“I still remember the unforgettable moment of meeting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the first time and receiving Taka 15,000 from her fund in 1996,” Taramon said.
“The subsequent governments fixed Taka 2,000 in 2002 and Taka 3,000 in 2007 as monthly allowances for me,” she said.
“After assuming power again in 2009, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina completely changed my fortune and life by raising my monthly allowance to Taka 15,000—- arranged free medical treatments for me at the Combined Military Hospitals,” Taramon narrated.
Besides, she used to get 30 kilogram rice, 25 kilogram wheat, four kilogram sugar, eight kilogram lentil and eight kilogram edible oil at Taka 120 every month under the rationing programme from Kurigram police administration.
“Sheikh Hasina built a house for me in Kurigram’s Polashbari area and handed over to me in 2009 with one acre of land so that I could easily avail physician in the hospital of Kurigram district town for my treatment,” she said.
“My health condition is deteriorating. I do not know when Almighty Allah takes me away but I thank Sheikh Hasina for making all possible arrangements for me . . . if I die, please call upon Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, on my behalf, to pray for eternal peace of my soul,” she said.