English
Bengali
(1946 – Present)
The independence of Bangladesh is a great pride for the nation. However, most awaiting freedom doesn’t come for free. Thousands of the nation’s sons and daughters had to sacrifice their all to free their motherland. Sitara Begum is one of those proud daughters of her nation.
She is a doctor, an army officer, and a proud freedom fighter. During such a dark period, when even men thought twice about going out, she didn’t pay heed to any threat. Sitara dedicated her whole medical career to the sake of wounded freedom fighters. She even motivated girls to participate in such noble work and trained them for nursing. Her utmost patriotism made her worthy of being one of the two women to achieve the honor of “Bir Pratik”. However, the path was not as crystal as it seemed. She had to face thousands of obstacles to lead the journey. So, let’s dive deep down to learn the unknown story of the bravery of Dr. Captain Sitara Begum.
Early Life & Background
Dr Captain Sitara Begum was born in 1946. Her birthplace is in Kolkata. She has two sisters and two brothers. She is the third one among five siblings. Her father Md. Israil Mian was a reputed lawyer in Kishoreganj. She spent most of her childhood in Kishoreganj as her father was practicing law there.
Sitara finished her matriculation from a nearby school in her locality. Later she completed her intermediate from Holy Cross College. After that, she studied medicine at the reputed Dhaka Medical College. In 1970, she joined the army’s medical corps as a lieutenant. She was at first posted in Comilla Cantonment.
As the political tension was reaching its peak between East Pakistan and West Pakistan, her job turned into a matter of great threat. Luckily Sitara went to spend her Eid holidays in her native village Kishoreganj. In that turn, she escaped from the inhuman torture of the Pakistani occupation army. Her brother, Major ATM Haider, the gallant freedom fighter, warned her not to return to Cantonment. He immediately sent Sitara and their parents to India. Along with some Mukti Bahini members, they went to Meghalaya, India. There the next chapter of Sitara’s journey as a freedom fighter began.
Contributions
Participating in the Liberation War
Sitara started to walk on a new path in Meghalaya. There, a hospital named “The Bangladesh Hospital” was constructed. The hospital was a 400-bed hospital and was run by volunteers like final-year students of different medical colleges. Sitara desired to work for the wounded freedom fighters in the hospital. Thus she was assigned as the Commanding Officer of the makeshift hospital.
After gaining such huge responsibility, she left no stone unturned. She toiled heart and soul for the wounded freedom fighters. The hospital was also opened for the Bangladeshi natives and the Indian army. Even though managing the whole hospital with so much dedication, she also used to visit Agartala on a regular basis to gather essential medical supplies. Thus she worked both to ensure the medical supplies and proper medical care for the freedom fighters.
Working as a Trainer
Besides providing absolute medical care to the wounded, Sitara also worked as a trainer. During that darkest period, it was tremendously hard to find enough volunteers. She started to motivate girls to take a step forward to participate in such noble deeds. Sitara trained a lot of women nurses including some of the prominent women freedom fighters such as Sayeda Kamal, Nivedita, Padma, Sultana Kamal, Ira, Gitaa Kar, Anila, Shobha, Lakshmi, Ranjita, Shefali, Anna, Yuthika and so on.
Awards and Achievements
Even though thousands of women participated in the Liberation War. Yet most of them had to wait much longer to get recognition as a freedom fighter. However, there were some exceptions as well. Among all the brave women there were the bravest two who got their recognition just after the independence of the nation. Dr. Captain Sitara Begum was one of the two. She just didn’t get the recognition, but she also was honored with the country’s fourth most honorary “Bir Pratik”.
Reason for Leaving Motherland
16 December 1971 is the most remarkable day for every Bangladeshi. This beautiful feeling was not exceptional for the gallant freedom fighter Sitara Begum as well. She heard the news of her motherland’s independence through the radio. She couldn’t hold her tears as the most awaited freedom had finally come. After a long year, she can finally step into the soil of her home.
Sitara along with some of her colleagues immediately returned to her land. Her country also didn’t forget to honor their selfless sacrifices. But suddenly their relief turned into a dark cloud. In 1975, her brother, another valiant freedom fighter, was killed. The matter was so devastating that it shook them from within. The siblings who sacrificed their all to save their motherland were not even safe from their own independent country. However, not only the siblings, but the whole family’s life was at great risk. That’s the reason why Sitara had to retire from the armed forces and leave her beloved motherland for the sake of her family’s safety. Later she along with her rest over family members settled in America.
Unknown Facts
- Dr. Captain Sitara Begum is one of the two women honored with the nation’s fourth highest honorary “Bir Pratik”.
- She is one of the first women to work as a lieutenant in the armed forces during the Liberation War of Bangladesh.
- Sitara was the Commanding Officer of the makeshift hospital “ The Bangladesh Hospital” in 1971.
- She used to carry grenades with her to ensure her safety during her travels to Agartala for medical supplies.
- Her brother who was also a gallant freedom fighter was killed after the independence of the country.
- She left her motherland to ensure her safety after independence.
Conclusion
Dr. Captain Sitara Begum is not just a name, but rather an inspiration for thousands of girls. She is a perfect example of patriotism who makes us remember how the daughters of the nation can also protect her motherland with such bravery. Even after her departure abroad, her country always paid homage to her greatest sacrifices and love for her nation. As long as the country’s flag remains high, her patriotism will always be remembered.
Disclaimer
All content on this website is provided in good faith and only for general information purposes. A Biography makes no guarantees regarding the information’s completeness, reliability, or correctness. Any action you take as a result of the material on this website is entirely at your own risk. A Biography is not responsible for any losses or damages incurred as a result of using our website.
