Mon Mar 24 11:58:15 UTC 2025: ## Indian Woman’s Harrowing Escape From Taliban Rule Ends in Tragic Murder
**Kolkata, India** – The extraordinary life of Sushmita Banerjee, a Bengali woman who defied the Taliban and escaped their brutal regime in Afghanistan only to be murdered there years later, has been recounted in a new account of her life.
Banerjee’s ordeal began in 1988 when, at the age of 27, she married Jaambaz Khan, an Afghan moneylender, against her family’s wishes. Their secret wedding led to a life in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, where she faced unimaginable hardship. After her husband abandoned her, she endured years of abuse, starvation, and torture at the hands of her in-laws.
Despite the oppressive conditions, Banerjee bravely used her basic nursing skills to provide vital medical care to women denied treatment under the Taliban. Her actions, however, made her a target. In 1995, she made three daring escape attempts, culminating in an armed confrontation with the Taliban before successfully reaching the Indian embassy and returning home to Kolkata.
Her memoir, “Kabuliwala’s Bengali Bride,” detailing her harrowing experiences, brought her international attention. After 18 years in India, Banerjee, now a convert to Islam and known as Sayed Kamala, returned to Afghanistan to be with her husband.
However, her second chapter in Afghanistan ended tragically. In September 2013, the Taliban murdered her, firing 25 bullets into her body, near a madrassa. Her death highlighted the continued plight of women under the Taliban’s harsh rule and serves as a poignant reminder of Banerjee’s courage and resilience in the face of unimaginable adversity. Her story echoes the recent cinematic portrayal of a similar ordeal in the film “The Diplomat,” highlighting the ongoing dangers faced by women who defy the Taliban’s strictures.
First Piper 