Feminism in Bangladesh: 1971-2000 Voices from Women’s Movement ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thesis To obtain the degree of PhD from University of Dhaka Supervisor Dr. Najma Chowdhury Emeritus Professor, Founding Chair, Department of Women and Gender Studies University of Dhaka Co Supervisor Dr. Firdous Azim Professor, Chairperson of the Department of English and Humanities BRAC University, Dhaka Submitted by Ayesha Banu Associate Professor Department of Women and Gender Studies University of Dhaka Registration No and Session: 215 (2012-13) (re) Affiliated Hall: Bangladesh-Kuwait Maitri Hall, University of Dhaka Date of Submission PhD Committee Convenor Dr. Meghna Guhathakurta, Director, Research Initiative, Bangladesh (RIB), Dhaka. Members Dr. Najma Chowdhury, Supervisor, Emeritus Professor, Department of Women and Gender Studies, University of Dhaka, Dhaka. External Member: Dr. Maitrayee Chaudhuri, Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The PhD Programme was supported by the project entitled ―Institutionalising the Department of Women‘s Studies‖, funded by the Royal Netherlands Embassy and managed by the Department of Women and Gender Studies, University of Dhaka and Institute of Development Studies (ISS), The Hague. II Table of Content List of Figures ....................................................................................................................... VIII List of Appendices .................................................................................................................... IX List of Acronyms ...................................................................................................................... IX Acknowledgement .................................................................................................................. XII Summary ............................................................................................................................... XVI CHAPTER ONE: Feminism in Bangladesh: 1971-2000 An Overview of Issues and Strategies ................................................................................................................................... 1 I: Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 1 Theoretical Underpinnings of Feminist Thought: The Women‘s Movement and Feminisms ...................................................................................................................... 1 The Rationale of the Study ............................................................................................ 6 Objective and Scope of the Study ................................................................................ 10 Conceptualisation of The Term ‗Feminism‘ and ‗Movement‘: Towards an Explanation .................................................................................................................. 11 II: Methodological Concerns ................................................................................................... 13 Selection of Issues........................................................................................................ 14 Selection of Women‘s Organisations ........................................................................... 15 Selection of Key Protagonists of the Women‘s Movement ......................................... 17 III: The Research Process ........................................................................................................ 17 Sifting Through Secondary Sources ............................................................................ 18 Interviews Culminating into Life Stories: A Process of Sharing and Exchange ......... 19 Processing of Data and Information into a Coherent Structure ................................... 22 IV: My Own Location and Subjective Quest ........................................................................... 24 Framework of the Study at a Glance............................................................................ 27 V: Geo-Physical, Socio -Politico and Historical Background of Bangladesh ......................... 29 War of Liberation and Transition to Independent Bangladesh: 1971 .......................... 30 Genocide, Mass Rape and Atrocity ............................................................................. 32 The Women‘s Movement and Emergence of Bangladesh: Role of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP) and Mobilisation Before and During the War of Liberation ............. 33 Bangladesh Mahila Parishad: Conflict with Communist Party and Quest for Independent Identity .................................................................................................... 36 Building up International Alliances ............................................................................. 38 III Political Shifts and Changes during the First Three Decades of Bangladesh: Political Underpinnings of the Women‘s Movement ................................................................. 41 Post 1975-1981: Political Alignment and Realignment............................................... 43 Decade of the Eighties: Military Rule and Quasi Democracy ..................................... 45 Decade of the Nineties: Process of Democratisation: Era of Female Leadership ....... 46 CHAPTER TWO: Violence against Women: One Common Thread in the Women‟s Movement of Bangladesh ...................................................................................................... 49 I: Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 49 Conceptualising VAW as a Common issue for the Women‘s Movements across the Globe ............................................................................................................................ 50 II: War time VAW and Post War Scenario: Processes of Rehabilitation, Rape, War Babies, Abortion, Adoption and Birangona ......................................................................................... 52 Rape: ............................................................................................................................ 52 The Rehabilitation Process: ......................................................................................... 56 Abortion ....................................................................................................................... 59 Creating Exceptional Legal Frameworks to Aid Rehabilitation Process ..................... 60 War Babies and Adoption ............................................................................................ 62 Disappearance of Records and Documentations.......................................................... 66 Rehabilitation through Arranging Marriage ................................................................ 67 Other Initiatives to Rehabilitate: Creating Employment, Training and the Idea of Sonargaon Craft Village .............................................................................................. 68 Birangona the Heroic Woman/Valiant Warrior/War Heroine: "A Rose by Any Other Name Would Smell As Bitter" ..................................................................................... 69 III: Responses From The Women‘s Movement: The Rehabilitation Process, Abortion, Adoption And Birangona ........................................................................................................ 71 ‗The Rehabilitation Process: A Historical Necessity‘ ................................................. 71 Failings, Shortcomings, Loopholes: A Critique of the Rehabilitation Process ........... 74 Birangona: The Juxtaposed Burden............................................................................. 78 From Victimhood to Agency ....................................................................................... 81 IV: VAW: A Cycle Unending VAW beyond War of Liberation ............................................ 85 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 86 Death of Shabmeher: Opening up of New Agendas and New Grounds for the Women‘s Movement .................................................................................................... 87 IV Voices from the Women‘s Movement ......................................................................... 88 ‗Patita‘: A Victim or a Legitimate Choice? ................................................................. 88 VAW Becomes a Political Tool ................................................................................... 92 Alliances and Coalitions: Effective but Brittle ............................................................ 93 VAW as an Overarching area to Engage in Feminist Knowledge Production ............ 94 V: Acid Violence: A Conceptual Leap from ‗Victim‘ to ‗Survivor‘ ....................................... 96 A Hideous Crime Necessitating Multi-Pronged Response .......................................... 97 Creation of New Understanding, New Tools and New Concepts ............................. 100 VI: Case of Yasmin: Rape and Murder in Police Custody: A Crucial Milestone for the Women‘s Movement .............................................................................................................