Untold story of a war-ravaged mother

For Latifa Khan, December 16 is a horrific day while the entire country wears a festive look on the occasion of the 45th Victory Day of Bangladesh.

The 75-year-old hailing from Purbo Adalat Para in Tangail town lost her mental balance after the tragic death of her three minor sons in a mine explosion just five days before the country's Victory Day in 1971.   

But the story did not end here. Her husband Ibrahim Khan, who worked in the intelligence unit of the freedom fighters (FF) during the whole nine months of Liberation War, died 16 years ago without getting any recognition of his contribution, said family members. 

On the morning of December 9, Ibrahim, then an agriculture officer, came to the house and asked Latifa to leave it with the children immediately as a fierce fight between the FFs and Pakistani soldiers might take place in the town the following day just after landing of the Indian paratroopers.

Latifa along with her five sons and two daughters then went to take shelter at her in-laws' house at Chheuri Tholpara village in Mirzapur.

Meanwhile, the freedom fighters of Kaderia Bahini set a mine on a bridge in Baoikhola area previously so that the Pakistani army from Dhaka could not enter Tangail through the road.

The bus driver, however, failed to see the signal given by the freedom fighters not to move forward.

When the bus got on the bridge, the mine exploded, leaving four people including three sons of Latifa -- Montu, 8, Prince, 6, and Duke, 4,--dead on the spot and others injured.

"Our mother lost her mental balance since the day of the dreadful incident," said Farida Khan, daughter of Latifa.

Abdul Kader Siddique, chief of Kaderia Bahini, gave their family Tk 4,000 as compensation just after the independence, she said, adding, "My freedom fighter father, however, died in 1990 without getting any recognition of his contribution".