War Heroines Speak

"War Heroines Speak" tells the heroic and sorrowful stories of 7 women survivors who were subjected to rape and torture by the Pakistani army during the 1971 Bangladesh war. Striving to shed light on the realities of war crimes, this book has been translated from the original anthology compiled by Dr. Nilima Chowdhury in 1994. No other book captures the human impact of war in rural and urban Bangladesh— and the ripple effect from the frontlines to the communities. In this quiet narrative, the young women and children clearly express how they went from an idyllic childhood to the horrors of genocide.

"War Heroines Speak" tells the heroic and sorrowful stories of 7 women survivors who were subjected to rape and torture by the Pakistani army during the 1971 Bangladesh war. Striving to shed light on the realities of war crimes, this book has been translated from the original anthology compiled by Dr. Nilima Chowdhury in 1994. No other book captures the human impact of war in rural and urban Bangladesh— and the ripple effect from the frontlines to the communities. In this quiet narrative, the young women and children clearly express how they went from an idyllic childhood to the horrors of genocide. Dr. Nusrat Rabbee hopes this translate book will help the world understand the history behind this genocide and to hold Pakistan accountable for wartime crimes.

This book was originally written from a compilation of recordings by Dr. Nilima Ibrahim [1921-2002]. She was a Bangladeshi academic, teaching at various women's schools in Dhaka and Calcutta, and finally at the University of Dhaka, where she was appointed lecturer in 1956, and professor of Bengali in 1972. She also served as the chairperson of the Bangla Academy, and as the Vice Chairperson of the World Women's Federation's South Asian Zone. The book is translated by Dr. Nusrat Rabbee, who is an American statistician working in biomedical research in the US. She is a frequent writer and discussant about the history of Bangladesh. Her interest stems from her family history: her father was a leading physician and progressive intellectual, Dr. Mohammed Fazle Rabbee, who was abducted and killed by Pakistani army— hours before Bangladesh was liberated on 16th December 1971. Her mother, Dr. Jahan Ara Rabbee, was one of the first female physicians of Bangladesh, who helped re-build the country after the war.