bangladesh liberation war : oral history

7/28/2019 Bangladesh Liberation War : Oral History

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Bangladesh Liberation War : ORAL HISTORY

Centre for Research on Liberation War of Bangladesh

List of Interviewees

1. Name: Baharuddin Khan (Dist. Barisal)

2. Name: Shankari Chakraborty (Dist. Bagerhat),Occupation in 1971: Housewife,

Present Occupation: Housewife

3. Name : Feroza Begum (Dist. Dinajpur), Occupation in 1971 : Housewife,

Present occupation : Retired

4. Name: Sheikh Abdul Hannan (Dist. Bagerhat),Occupation in 1971: Student,

Present Occupation: Business

5. Name: Mosammat(Mrs) Hazera Bibi (Dist. Dinajpur), Profession in 1971 : Housewife,

Present Occupation : Taking Care of the Family

6. Name: Md. Yunus Ali Inu (Dist. Khulna),Occupation in 1971: Politics,

Present Occupation: Politics


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7. Name: Keramat Ali Biswas (Dist. Chuadanga), Occupation in 1971: Student,

Present Occupation: Business and Music.

8. Name: Manjuli Pramanik (Dist. Natore), Occupation in 1971: Housewife,

Present Occupation: Housewife.

9. Name: Abdul Mannan Sarker (Dist. Rajshahi), Occupation in 1971: Small Business,

Present Occupation: Business.

10. Name: Tapan Kumer Chakravorty (Dist. Barisal), Profession in 1971: Law Student,

Current Profession : Lawyer

11. Name: Mosabber Hossain (Dist. Ranagpur), Occupation in 1971 : Student,

Present Occupation : Business

12. Name: Nohuddin Sarker (Dist. Natore),Occupation in 1971 : Service,

Present Occupation : Service

13. Name: Rabeya Khatun, Occupation in 1971: Student,


14. Name: Renu Begum (Dist. Natore), Occupation 1971: Housewife,


15. Name: Amulya Chandra Roy(Dist. Dinajpur), Profession in 1971: Student,

Present occupation: Village Doctor.


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16. Name: M.B. Sattar (Dist. Barisal), Occupation in 1971: Head Master, High School.

Present Occupation: NGO Worker

17. Name: Taramoni (Dist. Dinajpur), Occupation in 1971 : Housewife.

Present Occupation: Day Laborer

18. Name: Abdul Malek(Dist. Naogaon), Occupation in 1971 : Teaching,

Present Occupation : Business

19. Name: Taraban Bewa (Dist: Dinajpur), Occupation : Housewife,


20. Name: Mosammat Feroza Islam (Dist: Rajshahi), Occupation in 1971 : Housewife,


21. Name: Abdul Karim (Dist: Brahmanbaria), Occupation in 1971: Service (East

Pakistan Rifles), Present Occupation: Retired

22. Name: Shushila Pramanik(Dist.: Natore), Occupation in 1971 : Housewife,

Present Occupation : Housewife

23. Name: Aleya Khatun (Dist: Dinajpur), Occupation in 1971: Housewife,



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24. Name: Shovarani Mandol(Dist. Barisal), Profession in 1971: Student.

Current occupation: Service

25. Name: Wazed Mia (Dist: Khulna), Occupation in 1971: Chowkidar,

Present Occupation: Night Guard.

26. Name: Ayubur Rahman (Dist: Dinajpur), Occupation in 1971: Student,

Present Occupation: Unemployed

27. Name: Sheikh Abdul Jalil(Dist: Bagerhat), Occupation in 1971: Politics,



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1. Name: Baharuddin Khan

Fathers Name: Momtazuddin Khan

Vill: Sonamukhi, P.O. Mehdiganj

Union: No.5 Mehdiganj, P.S. Mehdiganj

Dt: Barisal.

Q.Did you know anything about the post 1970 election events, what was your reaction about

them?

A. As General Secretary of the Mehdiganj Thana Awami League I directed the local elections on

behalf of the Awami League.I found 90 per cent of the people voted for Awami League. In this

constituency the AwamiLeague candidate Mohiuddin Ahmed won the elections. But the

Pakistanis did not allow the Awami League to assume power.

Q. What did you think in the month of March 1971? What was the reaction of the general

masses of your area?


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A. Since they voted for Awami League naturally they thought Awami League will go to power.

When the Pakistanis started killing time for one reason or the other instead of transferring

power to them, people became angry. They were very anxious about when Awami League

would finally go to power and kept on asking us innumerable questions about it while they

themselves were awfully busy analyzing the situation. We had to continuously answer their

questions.

When they became sure that power would not be transferred to the Awami League, they took a

strong resolve and became determined to get their political rights through armed struggle. We

formed a War Council for running our struggle.

Q. Did you hear about the military crackdown of 1971 by the Pakistani Military Junta, when

and how did you come to know about it?

A. At around 10 p.m. the wireless operator of our area Mr. Mujibur Rahman sent us message to

come to his office and accordingly we went to his office. We were 7 or 8 Awami League activists

together. Mr. Rahmanstarted contacting various wireless centers throughout the country. It

was about 12 midnight that a message came from Moghbazar (Dhaka) Wireless Gate. The

message said that incessant firing had been going on targeting the Rajarbagh Police Lines

(Dhaka) and EPR Headquarters (Dhaka).

The Pakistan army is indiscriminately killing and torturing thousands of our men (women and

children), the message said.


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We understood the situation very clearly. And then innumerable people started pouring in

from Dhaka and adjacent areas for fear of life.

We got lots of stories information from them. They also confirmed that thousands of men,

women and children had been massacred by the Pak Army without rhyme or reason. Those

who came losing everything, we arranged dry food like, puffed rice, gur etc for them At the

same time we began dispatching them to their respective destinations. Then we started setting

up camps to meet the grave situation..

Q. When did the Pakistanis attack your area? And how did they do it?

A. On April 28, at around 11 a.m., under the leadership of the future Razakar chief and

the Rajakars of Patarhat, the Pak army entered Patarhat. After they arrived here, they moved

towards Rukundi village. On the way they set fire to Yarbeg village and burnt down the

Hindu paras (areas inhabited by Hindus). Several people were killed. Later on they killed 3/4

men on their way to Ghordi village.

Q. What did the Pakistani soldiers do in your area?

A. With the help of the Razakars the Pakistan army came to Mehdiganj village from Barisal.

The Razakars wore veils while they were guiding the Pak soldiers so that they were not

recognized. The Pakistani soldiers burnt down many houses. The freedom fighters were not


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there at the time. They were a little distance away. The Pakistanis were armed with heavy

firearms while the FFs (freedom fighter) carried only light weapons and naturally they had to

maintain some distance from the Pakis who raided the homes of the FFs and Hindu families.

Hindu homes were burnt down. The Pakis also burnt down many homes of the Awami League

supporters. One day a veiled

Razakar named Mohammad Ali shot and killed four boys of one Jamadar family after tying them

together with a piece of rope.

That Mohammad Ali is not alive to-day. Latr on they burnt down Aliganj and Patarhat market.

When the Patarhat market was burning the flames could be seen from as far

as Bhola and Barisal town. I was at Hijla then. We could also see the burning red flames

from Hijla.

On that day they shot and killed an estimated 4 to 5 hundred men, women and children. I never

returned towards Mehdiganj. Only once I went there 5 or 6 days before Sabebarat (a Muslim

religious festival). There wasnt even a single house in tact, only the Police Station and the High

School buildings were unhurt. Everything else was reduced to a heap of ash and dust.

Q. In your locality when did he Muktibahini activities begin?

A. After the 7th

March speech of Bangabandhu, we constituted the Sangram Parishad (War

Council) on Mar 11. I was made the chief and several others were on this council. We collected

some people to organizeMuktibahini. We also had some Bengali army men who had come on

leave before Mar 25. Among them were Commander Khalek, Baten, Abdul Alim and some


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others. One Mukim Talukder was very active in organizingMuktibahini. We

organized Muktibahini with some young men of the villages around and a retired army person

named Khalilur Rahman Molla. We set up a camp in the Jubilee School. About 70 to 80 young

men started taking training in the camp.Within a week or so we succeeded in raising a corps of

almost 200 freedom fighters. The we recived a message on April 3 or perhaps 4 to send

the FFs to Barisal. We loaded two launches with these 200 FFs and sailed for Barisal. We

transferred these FFs under Maj. Jalils command at the Barisal Rail Park. Only 10 or

12 FFs returned with me. At the time we could only give Tk 5/- to each of the FFs. Once a rumor

spread that a Pakistnai ship was coming towards Barisal. A thousand of us ran with only

bamboo sticks in our hands to attack the ship. Such was the extent of anger amongst the public

against the Pakistanis.

Q. Were all the anti-independence forces caught, if so, how did they get away?

A. Ant-liberation force were caught and they were sent to prison. But those Awami Leaguers

who were in power managed to get some of their relatives released. Later on many were freed

on General Amnesty granted by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib. But those who had specific cases

against them and still carrying those charges have not yet been tried.

Q. After the war when you returned to your home and what was the condition of your

village? What happened to the schools, colleges, madrashas, temples, bridges and

homesteads etc?


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A. Everything of Patarhat Bandar(port) was burnt down. There was not a single house to be

seen. Those who were connected with Awami League had their homes burnt down. The

Hindu para (area) was destroyed; culverts and bridges were in broken condition. Many of the

mosques and temples were damaged. The schools, specially the Patarrhat school,

were Rajakar camps. This school suffered damage but the other schools remained somewhat in

tact. The Rajakars looted the Patarhat port and surrounding areas and stored their booties in

this school.

Q. Which are the villages and areas around your village which suffered most damage and

where most of the killings, raping and arson took place?

A. The most badly affected areas are the Patarhat port and the adjacent

villages; Yarbeg, Kalikapur, Sonamukhi Badrpur, Chargana, Kashipur and Sadatpur were some of

the worst affected areas

Interviewer: Niranjan Dasgupta Anu

Date of Interview: Aug 17, 1996

Translator: Faruq Aziz Khan


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2. Name: Shankari Chakraborty

Fathers Name: Shishir Kumer Roy

Vill: Dakra, Union: Perikhali

P.S. Rampal, Dt. Bagerhat

Educaational Qualification: Read up to class V

Age in 1971: 23yrs

Occupation in 1971: Housewife


Q. Do you remember anything about 1971?

A. Yes. There was a war in the country at that time. I was living in my

father-in-laws home. My husband was a very well known person of this

village. He was very brave and powerful. One day we heard that Hindu homes

would be looted. Then my husband started to guard our village at night

along with some other villagers. There was quite a few with him. They did it for

about a month. But they couldnt prevent looting. Suddenly some people start-

ed looting our village. In our house there were 3 or 4 grain storage rooms with

sacks of paddy and rice. We had a lot of furniture, crockery, pots and pans;


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everything that a family needs. We had a cowshed with 30/35 cows and 2

ponds, whatever was needed for a full family. We were about 35/36 family

members. They looted every single piece of belonging we had.

Q. Do you remember the date of this incident?

A. I dont remember the exact date. We had just finished cooking and had our

mid-day meal. And then suddenly the looting started while we were still

around.

Q. Could you recognize the looters?

A. I was a new bride then. We never went out of the house. How could we reco-

gnize them? Some women also took part in the looting.

Q. Even women looted your house?

A. Women also looted our house: the women of the Muslim families of the vill-

age. They gleefully took away everything we had, anything they could lay

their hands on, pots, pans, cows, goats, everything. We stayed put in the


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house. Looting was complete. Then we left our home. We were determined to

leave the village. As we had gone some distance we were persuaded by some

Muslim men of Banshtala village who were not known to us. There were so

many people at that time all around. Some of them had sticks, some with

bamboo cutters( Like machetes) . They had brought us back. They told us that

everything looted from our house would be brought back. They insisted on us

not to go. But we had lost everything, only the house was not burnt down.

Everything else was taken away. On their insistence we returned. They gave

us rice and len tils, but how many days a family could survive on just some

little food. We had nothing of our own. After a couple of days we went to

Thakur Bari.There was a big crowd there, like a fair of some sort. It was

summer time. Some had only towels around them, some were clad in dhoties.

The Thakur Bari had a very big compound. Some were cooking food, some

had already cooked theirs. Like us they had converged from different places.

Q. Why did they come there?

A. They had plans to leave for India all together.

Q. Why would they go?


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A. At that time we were all on the same boat. Every ones home was looted.

So they had all decided to go to India.

Q How many people had gathered there?

A. Lots of men, women and children from many villages around had gathered.

About 30/35 huge country boats loaded with household materials were ready

at the jetty and after lunch they were all to leave. It was 6 Jaishtha (Bengali

year) as far as I can remember.

Q. Where were you at the time?

A. I was near the bazar. I had my daughter on my waist. Suddenly everybody

was shouting, run, run, they are killing us, they are killing us..I ran for life

with my baby daughter. Shooting broke out, I thought men were killed as if

some one was shooting game birds. How many would be dead, how many

would escape unhurt was a game of chance. I ran for the beel(large natural

water-body) and dipped under water. I could hear clattering of rifles and

other fire arms all around. I saw right in front of me people dropping on the


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ground and then they were cut into pieces. One of them was bleeding from all

over his body. My mother-in-law was with me. And my baby was clinging to

my breast. There was no one else of my family with me. Only my mother-in-

law was with me. We were trying hard to hide ourselves under water. I saw

my father in law some distance away, two three girls of our next village and

two of our own village were also there. A fire was blazing all around. I saw

three or four persons chasing a man and drove him towards a pond.

Q. Do you know the man who was driven into the pond?

A. Yes. His name was Parimal. He was chased towards the pond. We were wat-

ching from where we were. My mother-in-law was busy coating me with mud

and whispering in agony that they would catch me and wouldnt leave me

behind. My youngest daughter was too young to talk, she could only utter

maa and paa. She was screaming maa, maa and my mother-in-law was busy

coating my face with mud. I said to my mother, let them catch me, I shall see

who would be the one to do so. I splashed water on my eyes. I had some gold

ornaments with me and some money. Before I dipped into the water I had

hidden them under a palm tree. Then I saw two men chasing Parimal into

the water and slashed him with a dagger. I dont know if he died or was alive.


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Soon some of the men came towards us with daggers in their hands stained

with blood. Then one of them screamed, give me whatever you have, give me.

Then I said, Baba (father) I am giving you whatever I have. I have left

them near the palm grove. Ill give those to you right now. Then I gave them

the ornaments I had hidden and they left.

Q. Who were these people?

A. We heard that they were Rajab Alis men. I also saw Rajab Ali. He killed

my husband. Ill tell you about it. A woman said to me later on pointing

to Rajab Ali that he was the one who killed my father-in-law. Then I saw him.

Q Who was the woman who identified Rajab Ali?

A. She was a woman from Sunderpur. She knew Rajab Ali. We were completely

robbed. There was no place where we could go. Our eldest daughter was with

my husband. She was 7/8 years old. They were missing. Suddenly I saw my

daughter running past us. When I yelled at her she came to us. Then she told

my mother-in-law that her father was shot and killed. She said that a man by the

name Liaquat led Rajab Alis men to capture my husband and then


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he was killed. My daughter said that my husband begged of Liaquat to spare

his life. He told Liaquat that they were childhood friends, how often the

two of them spent time together playing football or roaming about, and begged

to Liaquat, Dada, kindly be merciful to me and give me my life back, but

Liaquat snatched my daughter from my husbands hold and threw her off and

shot him. Then my daughter ran to the palm grove where we had gathered and

told her grandma that her father was killed. None of us had tears in our eyes.

We had turned into stones. My father-in-law was standing some distance

away. I called him and told him that there was no place for us to go. He came

down to us in the marsh and suddenly some men came and yelled, Bastard,

malaoon (a slang word invented by Bengali Muslims meaning Hindus), get

out of water and come here. Then we appealed to them and said that he was

the only male member we had, an old man, all others were already killed and

we had no place to go, so to kindly spare his life for our sake. They were un-

moved. They dragged him out of the water, shot him and killed him right in

front of our eyes. Rajab Ali was in their midst.

Q. They killed your father-in-law in front of your eyes!

A. Yes, they killed him in front of our eyes, just a few yards from me. He had


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an under shirt covering his body, and a dhoti. They shot him straight into his

chest. He fell down on the ground. There was just little sun-light. We tremb-

led in shock and fear. As the sun went down, we crept up on the ground. It

was dark. We had never in our life went out of our home after sunset. We did

not know what to do. All our male members were killed, none was alive. We

had no way of giving some kind of a burial or cremation to my father-in-law.

Ten or twelve women who were around gathered together and started walking

away from the scene of pain but we did not know the way to any place and

had no notion where to go. My mother-in-law was holding my right hand, my

baby was clinging to my breast and my elder daughter was close to me. Our

clothes were wet. Never in our life we had been through such a disaster. We

were walking in darkness and then reached a village. The name of this village

was Kantakhali. We walked into the village. On the way we saw a young boy

walking towards us. We embraced him and begged of him not to kill us. He

replied, No no mum, I wont kill you. Two of my brothers have been killed

by them and their bodies have been thrown away. I am going to find them.

Then we were taken to a house. The door was locked from inside. A radio

was turned on inside the room and a lantern was kept lit. We begged for a

little shelter. We said we had little children with us and we were in grim dis-


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A. We had no problem. They gave us everything. We cooked separately. Some

women of the house at times misbehaved with us but Siddiq Mia treated us

very kindly. One of the elder brothers of my husband survived the attack

and he took shelter in Betkanta. When he heard about us he sent a man to

Siddiq Mias house to take us back. My mother-in-law and I went to Betkanta

Here I met my sister. Both of us were married in the same village. My sisters

husband was also killed. While at Betkanta my aunt heard about us and she

sent a man to take us back to her village. Then we went to my aunts house.

Q. What did you do then?

A. Then we went to India. There we stayed in a refugee camp. We returned after

liberation.

Q. What did you see on return?

A. After liberation first we went to my fathers home. From there we returned to

my husbands village. My brother-in-law sent for us. What could we see?

We had nothing left, everything was looted. I was not sorry about that. I lost

my husband and my father-in-law. We lost many others, lost them forever.


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I will never get them back.

Interviewer: Mahbubur Rahman Mohon.

Date of Interview: Mar 5, 1997

Translator: Faruq Aziz Khan

3. Name : Feroza Begum

Husband : Shaheed Azizur Rahman (killed by Pakistan army in 1971)

Vill : Ramkrishnapur, Dt.: Dinajpur

Educational Qualification : Illiterate

Age in 1971 : 25/26 years

Occupation in 1971 : Housewife

Present occupation : Retired

Q. How many children do you have?

A. Two sons, one daughter.


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Q. Were you attacked by the Pakistani soldiers in 1971?

A. Yes, I was.

Q. What happened then?

A. The Khans killed my husband.

Q. How did the Khans kill your husband?

A. At night my husband and I went to bed with our children. In the morning when

We woke up we found that our home was surrounded by Pakistani soldiers.

Q And then what happened?

A. All the men, women and children were taken to a nearby field and surrounded by

Khans.

Q. Who did this?

A. The Khans.

Q. How did they do it?

A. Every one was called out telling them that they were needed for cutting earth for

building a bridge. They were not released. They were shot dead. I ran for shelter


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but wherever I went the Khans were there. I had a 4 month old baby in my arms.

Q. What happened then?

A. Then I ran through the open space in between paddy fields. My husband and all

the others were taken away to the other side of the village and assembled for

execution.

Q. How many of your family were killed?

A. They killed my husband, father-in-law, two of my uncle-in-laws and a brother-

in-law.

Q. Who else were killed with them?

A. I heard that quite a few of others were killed.

Q. Did you see the killing?

A. Yes. Later on I saw the massacre.

Q. What was your feeling then?

A. I thought they would kill me also when they would return.


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Q. What did you do then?

A. What could I do? I was simply a wailing widow in terrible distress with my

infant children nothing to fall back on.

Q. How old was your eldest son during the liberation war?

A. He was two and a half years old.

Q. How old was your other child?

A. My youngest son was only four and a half month old.

Q. What are you doing now?

A. I am a housewife taking care of the children.

Q. What was the condition of your village home after the war?

A. There was nothing left. The Khans had smashed and burnt down everything.

Everything had to be rebuilt.

Interviewer : Bhabendra Barman.

Date of interview : Nov 13, 1996


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4. Name: Sheikh Abdul Hannan

Father: Late Moklesur Rahman

Vill: Ranabijoypur, Union: Hatgambuj

P.O: K. Ali Dargah

P.S: Bagerhat,

Dt: Bagerhat

Education: S.S.C

Age in 1971: 17 yrs

Occupation in 1971: Student


Q: What do you know about the elections of 1971 and subsequent incidents?

A: In the 1971 elections the Awami League led by Bangabandhu won with absolute majority.

But subsequently, when the Pakistani rulers were reluctant to handover power

to Bangabandhu, a massive political movement was generated within the country. This

movement soon spread throughout the country, includingBagerhat.

From Bagerhat Sh. Abdur Rahman was elected M.P. He was leading the movement. In addition

the NAP(National Awami Party) of Muzaffar Ahmed took part in this movement under the


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leadership of AdvocateSabur Ahmed. The NAP (Bhasani Group) was led by Amjad Ali

and Gorai Mia. There were other parties taking active part in this movement.

A Sangram Parishad (War Council) was formed taking in its fold all the parties under its

umbrella. Those of us who were in Chhatra(Students) League, youth organization of

the Awami League, and other organizations combined under the leadership of

the Sangram Parishad and took active part in the movement.

Later on I made contact with Commodore (Retd) in Dhaka. I heard he had a secret

organization. I was lucky to attend one of their secret meetings in Dhaka along with my

brother Sh. Abdul Mannan, Pathan AbdulMannan, Bhotu Mia and some others. The meeting

took place in the end of January (1971). In this meeting several decisions were taken: we would

have to make the country independent, discussed what would be the design of the national

flag, what would be the name of the country etc. In this meeting a decision was taken that the

name of the country would be Bangladesh and the flag would be a map of Bangladesh on a

red circle over a green piece of cloth. A sample of the map was brought secretly

to Bagerhat by Bholtu Mia, Pathan Abdul Manna and. Sh. Abdul Mannan. Ansar Sahib was a

famous tailor of Bagerhat. He loved Awami League andBangabandhu. We went to him very

quietly at around mid night and he produced the sample flag for us.

At that time there were two groups within the Students League, one was led

by Nure Alam Siddiqui and Abdul Quddus Makhan and other by A.S

M Abdur Rab and Shahjahan Siraj.

Under their leadership the new national flag of Bangladesh was hoisted on the campus of

the Dhaka University. The flag with Bangladesh map on it was first hoisted by ASM Abdur Rob.

We belonged to his group. I have mentioned before that there were two groups in

the Chhatra League. Because of this reason when we came to know that our leader


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ASM Abdur Rob hoisted the national flag at the root of the banyan tree on

the DhakaUniversity campus. We also decided to hoist an identical flag in Bagerhat. I was not

aware of any place in Bangladesh where this flag was hoisted before then. We decided to hoist

the new flag of Bangladesh on the office building of the S.D.O. When we discussed this issue

with M.P of our area Sheikh Abdur Rahman, he gave us clearance. On that day Mar 2, my elder

brother Pathan Abdul Mannan, Asoke Kumer Debnath and another boy named Nazrul Islam

climbed up the S.D.Os office building and was about to pull down the Pakistani flag, a police

guard on duty at the treasury building was ready to shoot Mannan. It was a stroke of luck that

Mr.Dudu Mia, the head clerk of the S.D.O restrained the police man from shooting Mannan.

When Pathan Abdul Mannan came down with the Pakistani flag in his hand, Dudu Mia drove

him away. There were a lot of people who had assembled there. Amiruzzaman Bacchu, now

dead, was making announcements on a microphone. He was chairman of the Students League.

His hard work made it possible to organize a strong movement. To-day he is almost forgotten.

He inspired us by his emotional speeches, something that made our blood boil. After raising the

flag when we returned we heard that a case had been lodged with the court of the Martial Law

Administrator of Khulna. One Col. Shams of the Pakistani Army, then already known as

the hanadars(Aggressors), was the Martial Law Administrator of Khulna. Even many of our

leaders were unhappy about our raising of the flag. In a situation like this there was even ademand for our trial in a peoples court. As a result the few of us responsible for this act went

underground.

Q. Even after wining the 1970 general elections the Awami League was not allowed to

assume power. In a situation like this what was the reaction of the people of Bagerhat.?

A. Bagerhat did not lag behind the rest of the others. In fact Bagerhat was ahead of the rest of

the country. In this context it reminds me of an incident. Someone by the name Mr. Kauth, so


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far I remember, a Pakistani, was posted as the ADC general of Bagerhat. All of a sudden he

appeared from somewhere and gave orders to fire on the crowd of college students who had

assembled there. We had launched a strong protest against this order and called for his

explanation. The protests were made by Sabur Bhai, Sh. Abdur Rahman, Amjad Ali, Gorai Mia

and some others. As a consequence arrest warrants were issued against all of them. Although

the authorities failed to arrest them, Sh. Abdur Rahman was caught and he was jailed.

Meetings, processions and demonstrations were all too frequent and the entire population of

the area was on the streets.

Q. What do you know about the incidents of Mar 25, 1970 and what was the role of the

people of your area?

A. When the Pakistani occupation army launched attack on us I immediately got the new from

Mr. Nurul Islam, MNA of Barisal over telephone. He said the Pak army had cracked down

in Dhaka, Bangabandhu had declared independence of Bangladesh and asked us to prepare for

resisting the Pak army. This news was communicated over telephone to the residence

of Sh. Abdur Rahman, MPA of Bagerhat. Immediately we got the news of Pakistan army

crackdown in Dhaka from Mr. Rahman. Next morning we got repeated broadcast of the

announcement of Independence of Bangladesh from Chittagong through the Independent

Bangladesh Revolutionary Radio Station. We had a Citizen brand radio set assembled in East

Pakistan with us. While turning the knob forward and backward we suddenly got tuned to

this Chittagong radio centre. After we got this information we became sure about our war of

independence. On receiving this news all the political leaders who were giving leadership to the

movement came forward. I have said before about the Sangram Parishad (War Council)

constituted in Bagerhat by taking leaders from several political parties. Now they came

forward. At the time a Hindu gentleman by the name U.C. Sarker was posted as the second


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officer of Bagerhat Sub-division and the third officer was one

Mr. Nurul Islam. Sh. Abdur Rahman M.P and some other politicians of the area made a request

to these two officers to transfer all the arms and ammunition of the treasury to our men

fighting for our independence. They told the government officials that the repression that was

going on on the Bangalis on the soil of Bengal and the armed attack that has been launched

must be resisted. We wanted to build resistance as per the directives of Bangabandhu, we

wanted to go for armed revolution and free this land.. Then the third officer Mr. Nurul Islam

handed over the key to the treasury and said Please enact the scene that you are forcibly

taking away the key from me. We were all present there. We were all with our leaders. We

surrounded the officer and snatched the key and collected all the weapons from the treasury

strong room.

In the meantime Maj. M.A.Jalil, Lt. Mehdi, and Capt Huda, reached Bagerhat. After they arrived

we distributed all the weapons amongst the Ansars, EPR men who had escaped from their units

and retired members of the police and the army. On arrival at Bagerhat Maj Jalil expressed his

plans to capture the radio station at Khulna and then make a broadcast declaring the

independence of Bangladesh as per the wish of the Bangabandhu, and that we were fighting a

war of independence. According to this plan the Khulna radio station located in Gallamari was

attacked under the leadership of Maj, Jalil with several groups taking part in the assault. Two of

our freedom fighters subedar Zainal Abedin of Chitalmari and a gentleman

named Habibur Rahman of Rupsa were killed. To the best of my knowledge these were the only

two who became shaheed in that action. I did not participate in that operation because I had by

then received no training in arms. But I did take part in supplying arms and ammunition, food

and medicine to the fighting men. We could not capture the radio station. After this we became

separated from one another.


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Q. Did you hear about the 7th

March speech of Bangabandhu Sh. Mujibur Rahman?

A. Why me alone, every single soul in entire Bangladesh heard about it. I thought he knew

very well what would be his position, what would be the situation around him and that is why

he said that if he were not around to give orders, then every one should pounce on the enemy

with whatever implements they could lay their hands on. We understood after the 7th

March

speech that we were on the path towards independence. His address carried that directive.

Q. Were you attacked in 1971?

A. I was not attacked in 1971. When I reached India I could not go for training

immediately. Because the sector commander of sector IX Major Jalil engaged me for recruiting

young boys. I entered Bangladesh territory many a times. Those boys belonging to the

Students League or men, members of Youth League desirous of joining the liberation war had

to be collected and for this reason I entered Bangladesh territory quite a few times. It so

happened that Sh.Naser, younger brother of Sh. Mujib who was camped

at Dhopakahli of Bagerhat had 10/12 young men with him and I picked them and brought them

to Jamrultala camp in India which was a recruiting centre. Sh. Abdur Rahman M.P.A was the

camp in-charge. The sector commander was Maj. Jalil and Mr. Abu Rahman was the political

adviser. They were appointed by the Govt. of Bangladesh. While I was in charge of recruitment,

I was sent to the training camp by Maj. Jalil. After completing the training when I was returning

to the Bangladesh territory with subedar Tajul Islam along with 50/60 freedom fighters, the

transport a British made Bedford of England brought out of Bangladesh to India and containing

explosives and ammunition was speeding through rain drizzle ran into a ditch near

the Bagda border as the driver of the vehicle lost control. All of us were injured more or less


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and I received grave injuries. After the accident the Indian army and police cordoned off the

area. Those of us who received injuries were promptly sent to hospital. I was taken to a

hospital in Howrah. I received serious injury on my chest. I am still not out of the effect of the

injury. I feel pain while breathing, but I am still alive. For this act of kindness I am grateful to

Allah.

Q. Why did you join the Liberation War?

A. Please remember that the Liberation War did not start on Mar 26,1971 just like that. The

history goes back to the Language Movement of 1948. We hoped that we would be able to live

and express our views like an independent nation. I love freedom. I have seen the repression

and acts of cruelty committed by the Pakistani aggressors in Bangladesh. I was a student of

the Khulna B.K. School. I had seen that we couldnt talk on the streets in front of the Biharis.

They used to utter the names of our parents and speak ill of them and abuse them in filthy

language. Such incidents created a strong feeling in my mind. I wanted this country to be

independent. We are Bangalis. We wanted a flag of our own and an independent state on the

map of the world so that we could move around with our heads upright. With this hope I

actively participated in the Liberation War.

Q. When did the Pakistanis attack your area or Bagerhat district?

A. Well, I would say that we had set up our camp on the campus of Bagehat school on Mar 26

and built up resistance against Pak aggression. The Khan(Pak) soldiers arrived at Bagerhat on


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April 24. They came toDemarpole by river route on a gun-boat Then they traveled

on foot towards Bagerhat. At the time we were in the Bagerhat school camp. When we got the

news of the Khan soldiers coming in our direction, two different groups under the leadership

of Subedar Mahtabuddin and EPR Habilder Abdur Razzak took position on the banks

of Pachadighi. A little distance away in Karapaa village a man by the name Tara Mia fired a few

shots at the Pak army with disastrous consequence. The army entered his house and

killed Razzak and 4/5 others including women and children. After this, they again moved

towards Bagerhat. While returning to Bagerhat they had a fierce battle with our men who had

taken position on the banks of Pacha Dighi under the leadership of subedar Mahtabuddin and

EPR havildar Razzak. Our troops were compelled to retreat, and in this

action havildarRazzak became shaheed(martyr). In that action

both Pathan Abdul Mannan and Sh. Abdul Mannan took part under the leadership

of Khandaker Mahtabuddin. Pathan Abdul Mannan was seriously wounded by a splinter of a

mortar shell fired from the gun-boat the Pakistanis had anchored at Demarpole. He was

rescued. Earlier we had received information that he was killed. After our resistance failed, the

Pakistani troops moved very quickly towards Bagerhat. An elderly fellow by the

name Muzaffar who claimed that he had built a mosque, named Nur Mosque, with his own

money was standing beside his mosque to receive the Pakistani troops with gallons of drinkingwater to quench their thirst. But unfortunately for him the Pakistanis mistook him as an enemy

agent and shot and killed him on the spot. And then they started firing rocket shells

from Demarpole nearBagerhat. The Pak troops entered the Bagerhat school and attacked the

camp that we had set up with heavy weapons and dispersed our men consisting of EPR, police

and army personnel. At one stage these men crossed the river and set up another camp

at Batpur, and some of them gathered at Gotapara, Dopara and Besragati on the other side of

the river north of Bagerhat..


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Q. What sort of repression and torture the Pakistan Army had carried out after they

entered Bagerhat?

A. I didnt see these because I myself was a freedom fighter and at the time we had to retreat.

But later on I heard that they had carried committed murder, raped women, destroyed

business places and set fire to anything they wished. From their gunboat moored

at Nagerbazar about which I have mentioned before, the Pakistani soldiers fired shells

around Nagerbazar and destroyed quite a few buildings. They created a reign of terror through

committing murder, rape and arson. The market was razed to ashes and debris. On the very

first day one thirds of the town of Bagerhat was totally destroyed. That day after these acts of

terror they left for their camp. Later on they set up a number of camps in the area and used

these as their bases for committing more acts of terror and destruction. Later on they captured

10/11 men from Kandapara bazaar while they were on their way to Chitalmari and killed them

by slashing their throats open. They raped innumerable women which the victims themselves

reported to us. But they wont admit those shameful incidents now for fear of losing respect in

the eyes of the society. One of the unfortunate victims was my relative; she is married now and

I do not want to disclose her name.

Q. Did anyone of your own family become shaheed?

A. No one of my family became shaheed. We three brothers were adult. We left home. My

father who served in the British army also fought in the liberation war. My mother took refuge

in a distant village where no army could reach.


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Q. When did the muktibahini operations start in your area? What was the peoples feeling

like about the muktibahini?

A. In my area muktibahini activities started from the very beginning, Mar 26.

In Ranbijoypur and Shaat Gambuj Mosque area armed clashes took place with the Pak army.

There was a mukti-bahini camp beside theShatgambuj mosque. There was a school beside the

mosque and the camp was set up in this school. Bagerhat was a free-zone from Mar 26 till Apr

24. During this time there was a wide support from the people. They spontaneously brought us

food, drink, fruits, vegetables, eggs, meat, anything anyone could afford. If someone found an

egg in his hen cage he would cook it and bring it for us. There was such a spontaneous natural

feeling from our people for the freedom fighters.

Q. In the first phase how was the war conducted and who gave the leadership?

A. Maj. Jalil provided the military leadership and the political leadership came from the

president of the Bagerhat Awami League, Mr. Abdur Rahman. Then we had Amjad Ali Gorai Mia

of Bhasani NAP. They jointly gave leadership of the war of resistance in our area.

And then at the top of everything we had the wholehearted support of our people from one to

all.


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Q. In your village or area who were the Rajakars or members of the Peace Committee?

A. I belong to the Shatgambuj union (a collection of a dozen or so villages). In this area one

Rajab Ali Fakir, the chairman of the union, was himself the leader of the Rajakar bahini.

One Kashem Master of my union was also a Rajakar. His second in command was a man by the

name Kader Mallick. Several others such as Manik Fakir, Abu Ali Fakir, Ishaq Uddin, Hemayet Ali

and several others were in leading position. These people gathered many others around them

with the passage of time and created a reign of terror over the entire area.

Q. Will you elaborate a little more about the repression carried out by the Rajakars?

A. I forgot to mention the name of Akijuddin. He was a killer. He had killed many people. He

used to round up many ordinary people and slaughtered them blaming that they were freedom

fighters. The captured men were taken in front of the Bagerhat Dakbangalow and then killed.

The launch(small steamer) of the sub-divisional officer used to be docked there, and near that

place the victims were taken over a bridge and killed and their bodies thrown into the river

below. Siraj master, a rogue, was the leader of these planned murders .Another

killer Akijuddin used to tell the would be victims with a smiling face that he was an old man and

asked the victims to lower their heads making it easy for him to kill them. The captured men

were hung with their heads down for days together and tortured mercilessly and poked by

bayonets and killed. Many others were shot and killed.

Q. Where are these anti-liberation elements now?


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A. Fakir Rajab Ali, the chief of Rajakar died on Dec 16, 1971. He committed

suicide. Akijuddin who was a leader of a gang of robbers met natural death. The others are still

living in the area and doing well. Some of them are doing business. Rajakar Kasem master is still

around, creating terror in the area. Others are also quite well settled. They are all doing fine,

enjoying life and creating terror as usual.

Q. Were these anti-liberation elements arrested after liberation?

A. We captured these elements and according to government directive sent them to jail. But

later on after the general amnesty granted by the government these elements got out of the

jail through wrong interpretation of the order and using loop holes in the laws and by managing

the government officers got out of the jail. People misunderstood Bangabandhu. They

thought Bandhu had pardoned the criminals by the general amnesty order. This is nothing but

malicious propaganda. He did grant general amnesty but those who had specific charges of

murder, rape, arson, destruction property etc against them were not covered by the order.

This was clarified in the order. But money, personal relationship, connivance with government

officials and loop holes in the laws helped the criminals to get free.

Q. After the war what was the condition of the schools, madrashas, hospitals,mosques,

roads etc of this area?


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A. Almost everything was destroyed; schools colleges, mosques-madrashas, and everything

else.

Q. During the war which were the areas where excessive killing took place?

A. The biggest massacre took place at the Mongla port area in the south

of Bagerhat. Bajua village was another area where large scale killing took place. And so

also Kaliganj, Dakra, and Morelganj where massacre was committed.

Q. How were these massacres committed?

A. The joint operation carried out by the Pak troops and the Rajakars resulted in these large

scale murder, rape, arson and looting.

Q. What is your estimate of the number of people killed around Bagerhat Dak-bungalow

jetty?

A. These luckless people were rounded up from many areas and brought to the jetty. Most of

them were innocent men who had nothing to do with the liberation war. They were killed on

the false pretext that they were connected in one way or the other with the

liberation war.Almost two hundred men were killed at the Dak-bungalow jetty. We got the list


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of the victims after liberation of the country. It reminds me of one Rajakar ofHarikhali who had

kept three young girls under confinement. When we reached the place they had no clothes on

them. The girls told us that they were always kept naked. I do not remember the name of

the Rajakar. We had rescued the three girls. The son-in-law of Mosharaf Kazi who was the

owner of the nearby Mosharaf saw-mills was the man who committed this crime. We

transferred the responsibility of the three girls over to theBagerhat police station. We had

earlier built bunkers at this station. We had also built pucca(brick-work)bunkers at several

other places.

Q. What did you do with your weapons after the war ended?

A. At the end of the war when Bangabandhu issued instructions to surrender our weapons

within a specified time, I forgot the exact date, I deposited my weapons to my local commander

Major Joynal Abedin.

Q. What did you do after the war ended?

A. Even after the war I involved myself in active politics and I am still continuing to do so. Later

on also I spent most of time in nation building work neglecting my family. On April 24 the

Pakistani soldiers and Fakir Rajab Alis marauders burnt down my home. Till today I have not

been able to rebuild it.


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Name of Interviewer: A.K.M. Fazle Khoda

Date of Interview: April 20, 1997

English Translation: Faruq Aziz Khan

5. Name : Mosammat(Mrs) Hazera Bibi

Husbands Name : Shaheed Mofizuddin (Killed by Pakistan Army in 1971)

Vill : Prankrishnapur, Union : Putimara, P.O : Putimara

P.S.: Nababganj Dt.: Dinajpur

Educational Qualification in 1971: Read up to Class V

Age in 1971: 30/31 Yrs

Profession in 1971 : Housewife

Present Occupation : Taking Care of the Family

Q. What were you doing in 1971?

A. What else could I do? Just a housewife and taking care of the childrens

education.


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A. You see that meadow (pointing her finger in a certain direction) thats where went.

Q. During the liberation war many people left for India. Didnt you go with them?

A. We didnt go. All the village elders got together and decided that if we were to die,let us die

here. We wouldnt leave our village.

Q. How did the Pakistani soldiers attack your village?

A. One day the Muktis (freedom fighters) killed some Punjabis (Pak soldiers) near our village.

Two of the Muktis were from our village. Then the Punjabis raided our village. The day the

Punjabis were killed, the same night they cordoned off our village. In the morning when they

were passing by our home they dragged my husband out and asked him if he had a watch as

they wanted to know the time and then pulled him by the shoulder and took him away.

Q. Were you at home then?

A. Yes.

Q. Did they take him away pulling by the shoulder in front of you?

A. Yes, they took him away. I was terribly shocked and I fell down on the ground.


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Q. What did they do to your husband after they took him away?

A. They had taken many victims at the same spot.

Q. Was your husband the only one to be killed on that day?

A. No. All those who were bundled up there were killed. They also killed my husband. They

didnt kill any of my children.

Q. Your sons were not killed?

A. My sons were not killed.

Q. In your family only your husband was killed?

A. Yes, my husband was killed.

Q. Where were you then?

A. On that side. There is a pond and I was standing on the bank of the pond. There were

several women, all crowded at the same spot.


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A. Just managing to drag on.

Interviewer : Bhabendranath Barman

Date of Interview : Nov 12, 1996

6. Name: Md. Yunus Ali Inu

Fathers Name: Mohammad Yakub Ali

Village: Pabla, P.O.: Daulatpur, P.S.: Daulatpur

Dt.: Khulna

Education: B.A.

Age in 1971: 29yrs

Occupation in 1971 : Politics

Present Occupation : Politics

Q. What do you know about 1970 General Elections and the subsequent events?

A. I have to go back some years before if I have to talk about the 1970 elections. I passed

the B.A examinations in 1967. After I joined students politics in 1960 I gradually got involved

deeply in active students politics and in 1966-67 I became the General Secretary of the District

Students League of Khulna district. I became directly involved in the Six Point movement of

Awami League in Khulna under the leadership ofBangabandhu. The elections of 1970 didnt


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might face imprisonment, many of them might be killed. If all of us were taken to jail, this

movement for 6 points will still continue, he said, I have taken everything into consideration

before launching this movement. We couldnt fully appreciate then the inner meaning of his

statement and never could think then that in course of time the 6 point demand would be so

vigorous.

Soon after this declaration a warrant of arrest was issued against Bangabandhu and some of us.

We managed to send him to Jessore with great difficulty including changing cars on the way to

avoid arrest.

But he was arrested when he reached Jessore. Somehow he got released next day and held a

meeting in Jessore and then on the way to Dhaka he was arrested again in Kushtia. In this way

in the next 17 days he was arrested 13 times, the last one was in Naryanganj. Since then he was

not released before Feb 22, 1969. On June 7, 1966 a countrywide hartal was observed for his

release. On that day 6 or 7 people were shot and killed in police firing including Manu Mia

(Awami activist). Soon after a fake charge of sedition was brought by the Pakistan Government

against Bangabandhu which came to be known as the Agartala Conspiracy case.

Let me describe the incidents that happened in Khulna on that day. We had planned to bring

out a procession in protest but didnt get a single Awami League leader to take part in the

procession. Only 10/11 persons Including Ali Taher, Kamruzzaman, Mohd. Yunus Ali,

Monwar Hossain, Monranjan, Feroz Noon and I, and few others took out a small procession

from Hadis Park of Khulna. As soon as the procession reached the crossing near the park, police

forces surrounded us from all sides and arrested almost all of us. We were taken to

the Thana (police station) and interrogated throughout the night. However, next day we were

granted bail by the court and were released. This is the reason why people were scared to

participate in processions in those days.


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Finally the elections were held and Awami League won in167 out 169 seats of the National

Assembly. They lost in two seats, one in Chittagong Hill Tracts taken by Tridiv Roy and in the

other constituency ofMymensingh, Nurul Amin won. As majority party in the National

Assembly, Awami League requested President Yahya Khan to convene the opening

session. Yahya Khan was vacillating but then he finally agreed and called the session and fixed

the date on Mar 3, 1971 and then on March1, he cancelled the session. And then the whole

country was ablaze creating a serious situation and it became quite clear that Yahya Khan and

the West Pakistani rulers and politicians didnt want power to be transferred to the East

Pakistan politicians. The ruling clique of Pakistan didnt think that Awami League would get so

many seats in the National Assembly. It was an unbelievable reality to them. So they started a

conspiracy which led again to a movement in the country (the then East Pakistan) against these

actions.

We then realized that without mass movement or struggle, the Pakistanis under

no circumstances will allow the Awami League to assume power. We would have to assume

power through movement and struggle. We didnt think of a war then. Some of us had thought

about it but the idea didnt surface so openly. In fact we never could believe that we would

have to fight a war. I recall one of our student leaders Abdur Razzak once called a few of us

in Shahinoor Hotel and while discussing the overall situation warned us that we might have to

fight a war for power and in that case we would have to be prepared to make sacrifice. He said

we should be mentally prepared for such an eventuality. But he never said that a war was

inevitable. We hoped ultimately the power would be transferred to us. Although some of our

political leaders had secret desire in their minds to become independent, they never talked

about it openly. Besides we did not have enough experience in politics to understand what was

really going to happen. I have already said that when a nationalist movement starts, it ends in

independence. I am saying this to-day from my political maturity that I have achieved now.

Immediately after Yahya Khan cancelled the National Assembly session, meetings, rallies and

processions became all too frequent.


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Rifles (EPR) headquarters at Peelkhana(Dhaka) and many other places. We also got the news

that they had indiscriminately slaughtered hundreds of Bangalis. We immediately realized that

the Pakistan Army may also attack Khulna. We then tried hard to organize ourselves to meet

the threat.

Q. When did the Pakistan Army attack Khulna?

A. Most probably on Mar 28 some army units from Jessore Cantonment drove to Khulna. Even

before that some army units were guarding the State Bank of Pakistan and

the Khulna Radio Station studios. Getting the news of the movement of the army

towards Khulna the members of the volunteer corps organized earlier tried to stop the

army. Ashikur Rahman, a resident of Khulna, was a retired captain of the Pakistan Army. I knew

him. After the army assault on Dhaka I contacted him. There were some other retired army

personnel in Khulna town. We organized them with the help of Mr. Rahman. Then the police

personnel also joined us and so also the Ansars(A Paramilitary Force). I was in Khulna town

when the Pak Army attacked Khulna. I went to Daulatpur after sundown. I had no way of

moving around during the day time hours. When I was in Khulna I got the news that the army

was advancing towards Khulna. They had not reached Daulatpur then. Daulatpur was on the

way to Khulna. They received resistance for the first time at Fultala on the way to Khulna. Next

day they again met resistance at Daulatpur. Four or five convoys reached Daulatpur. As soon as

they reached Daulatpur they entered several areas of the town. We then tried to resist them at

several points. We had collected all the firearms which the local people of the area in and

around Daulatpur had possessed. We had distributed these arms to those members of

the Ansar command who knew how to use firearms. A man named Hadi was the first person to

open fire on the Pak Army when they entered Daulatpur town. Hadi was a student of

the B.L. College. Hadi took position in a lane and opened fire when the Pak Army convoy was

moving on the main road. A Pakistani soldier was hit by the bullet and fell down. We thought he

died but later on we came to know that he was wounded. As soon as Hadi fired his first shot,


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the army jwans jumped down from the vehicles and started firing in all directions. At one stage

they picked up their wounded comrade and started to flee when we chased them. Suddenly

one of our comrades whose name was Shyamapadareceived a bullet wound and died. His death

unnerved the others and they started to flee in all directions when the Pak soldiers opened

indiscriminate fire in all directions and entered Khulna town. Once they occupiedKhulna town

they set up camps in different areas and launched attacks on other areas from these camps.

They attacked one Siddiq Munshis house and killed 16-17 people.

When Pakistan Armys activities increased in Khulna we crossed the river and camped in a

school building. Once we reached there we planned to attack the Khulna Radio Station. We had

the chief of Khulna voluntary corps Kamruzzaman Tuku with us. On the instructions of the

then M.P.A(Member Parliamentary Assembly) Sheikh Abdur Rahman another local resistance

group joined us. This group was mainly composed of former members of the EPR, ex-soldiers

and Ansars. Major Jalil took the responsibility of invading the Radio Station. He was then

camped at Fakirhat. When we came to know that a Bangali army major had arrived there, we as

leaders of the students and youth fronts contacted him. Thousands of students and young men

had already arrived and joined hands with us to fight against the Pakistanis. But there were few

amongst them with training of some kind. Major Jalils contingent had some men with previous

experience. Some of them were from the army and others from police corps

and Ansars We had also collected some trained men. For the invasion of the Radio Station we

managed to gather about 2-3 hundred trained men I was also with them as a volunteer.

According to the battle plans those of us without training would be responsible for

supplying food, equipment etc and those with training would do the fighting. In the first week

of April we attacked the Khulna Radio Station but we lost the battle. In this operation several

soldiers including subedar Zainal Abedin died and quite a few were wounded. We realized that

with our limited strength and training it was not possible to fight with the Pakistan army and we

wouldnt survive too long. We therefore decided to go to India, our only neighbor for help. With


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reaching Satkhira the Pakistan army set up their camp near the Mahmoodpur bridge four miles

away from Bhomra. We were at Bhomra when the Pak bahini set up their camp

at Mahmoodpur.

We stayed in the EPR camp and the EPR skillfully used to send us on various types of night duty

across the border inside Bangladesh and they themselves used to stay in full security within the

Indian border. There was a road near the camp which was very important for various

reasons. The Pak army hadnt yet set up their camp near this road. They used to come on

routine patrol duty once or twice a day and then go back. The EPRmen used to send us on duty

around this road at night We were told that the Pak army usually didnt come out at night on

this road. If they came they would come during the day, not at night. And even if they came,

theBSF and the EPR were behind us. We had nothing to fear. We took their words in good faith

and did our assigned duty. One day at around 8.00 in the morning ASM Babar Ali, I and some

others were taking a dip into a pond by the side this road close to the border when suddenly

some Pak soldiers attacked us from all three sides. I just cannot describe how we managed to

save our lives. When this happened thousands of people ran for life in any direction they could.

They were rushing across a small canal the other side of which was Indian territory. In this

terribly frightening moment babies fell down from their mothers hold, no one looked at any

one, they were just running for their own lives. After running for 3 or 4 miles non-stop Babar Ali

and I reached the Indian border and saved our lives. Then we went to Bhomra and found

2 EPR men dead. Those of us with rifles,left their weapons behind. A lot of people were killed in

that action. Next day we were told that our camp had to be wound up. Then Mr. Gafur rented a

house in Bashirhat (India) on his own. Some of us and the EPRmembers took shelter in that

house. We also found shelter in the same area not far from one another. We maintained our

contact with Mr.Gafur. A few days later all of a sudden Maj. Abu Osman Chowdhury came with

Capt. Salahuddin and Capt Mahbub and took away the EPR men with them. A little later they

also took us to a camp at Taki. After staying there for a couple of days we took shelter in the

residence of Moulana AkramKhan at Hakimpur. The day after we went to the residence of the


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station master and later the two of us went to Calcutta. On reaching Calcutta we tried to locate

our leaders and find out what they were doing and what was going on about our mission. One

day suddenly we came across Shahjahan Siraj who was the general secretary of the Central

Students League. Although he was older than me he treated me with respect and gave me an

address and asked me to go there . If I remember correctly, I went to this place the very next

day along with Babar Ali. We found quite a few known face. Before this happened I had been to

the MPs hostel and the Bangladesh Embassy but didnt find anyone I knew. From some

inmates of this house we came to know that Sh. Moni, Abdur Razzak, Sirajul Alam Khan,

Tofael Ahmed and some senior student and youth leaders were residing in that house. They

had also set up a centre for temporary shelter in that house. It was a five storied building which,

we later on came to know, belonged to Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy (a former chief minister

of West Bengal and a very eminent physician). In the beginning of the month of May both of us

shifted ourselves to this camp. Later on a few others from Khulna joined us.

A few days later something happened. One day Razzak bhai took all of us from Khulna to a

place about which he didnt tell us anything before we left the house. We started moving

towards north and reached the railway station. We still did not know where we were heading

for. When we reached the station a few unknown persons accompanied us a to a train boggy

and made seating arrangements for us. A little later the train steamed off and we got down at a

station named Bishra. All the passengers left the train and so also the train. Even then Razzak

bhai didnt tell us where we were going. He simply said that he would show us

something(interesting). We were sipping tea when two unknown persons approached us and

said, lets go We had no clew how these contacts were made. It was a bit of a mystery to us.

Then they took all of us across the rail track to an Asram (hermitage), named

Bishra Shivasram , built over a few acres of land. A few people had gathered there to

welcome us. They extended a very cordial welcome to us and guided us inside and then we

were entertained with a very delicious lunch. A few minutes of rest and then in the after noon a

man came to accompany us to meet one of their leaders and have tea with him. He did not


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later on they were sent to two different places. Those who were comparatively senior were

sent to Dehradun in the Andhra province for leadership and military training. The others were

sent to Chakulia in Bihar province for training. This decision to separate the trainees was taken

in the Jalpaiguri transit camp. After we sent all the recruits from Khulna district for

training, Kamruzzaman and I also left for training. Ali Hossain, Moni from Jessore, Amir from

Kushtia and few recruits from 2/3 other districts were with us. We went to Dehradun under the

leadership of Razzak bhai. We received training at Dehradun.

Q. In which month did you go to Dehradun?

A. In the middle of June. We had a 45 days training there. My training and so also

of Kamruzzamans was shorter by ten days. We were delayed because we had to

select Khulna boys for BSF training and it took us some time. Some others also had a 10 days

shorter training. They were from other districts. Our training was on guerilla warfare. In the

beginning the name of this force was BLF. But later on it was changed to Mujibbahini.

Q. When did you return from training?

A. We finished our training by the end of July. In the first week of August we were shifted

to Barakpur Cantonment and then onto a camp close to the border. On August

11, Kamruzzaman Tuku and I entered insideBangladesh territory leading 22 freedom fighters.

We had with us a couple of freedom fighters from Barisal. We entered Bangladesh territory

through Hakimpur border. I was given the responsibility of Tala thana (police station)

of Satkhira and Kamruzzaman Tuku got the charge of Paikgacha thana. We

entered Bangladesh territory together. We had to cover 21 miles from the border to reach our

respective duty area in one night. It was rainy season. The road was terrible, damaged all over


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and full of mud. We had to carry our rifles, ammunition and all our staff by ourselves. I was told

to report to the residence of B.A. Karim of village Srimantakatiunder Tala police station.

B.A. Karim was a candidate for the post of V.P of the Chhatra League of the B.L. College in 1962

but he lost the election. He was a man supported by Awami Leagus. So we were told to make

our centre in his house. Kamruzzaman Tuka trekked with me up to Baliadaha of Tala P.S. and

then turned towards Morokgacha on his way to Paikgacha.

We left for Srimantakati from Baliadaha. On reaching the house of B.A.Karim we found no trace

of his house. It was totally burnt down. There was no one in the area. Most of the houses

around were burnt down. I had never been to this village before and I didnt know any one.

Finding no one I along with my associates entered a big sugarcane field. We spent the whole

day in that field drinking cane juice. At night we headed for a village 2/3 miles away

named Chamakati near Magura market and took shelter in an abandoned house of a Hindu

family. We were given two guides with us from India. Their names

were Makbul and Shamsu master. The two of them collected some rice and dal from a

neighboring house and cooked for us on day one. We then set up our camp in that abandoned

house. Those who received training later on, some of them came and joined

us. Kamruzzaman Tuku had the responsibility of placing Mujibbahini members to different

camps. Most of the responsibility of military operations had to be handled by me

and ASM Babar Ali while the naval actions were organized by Rahmatullah Daru Shahib. Afer we

settled there we carried out some small operations. Later on in December we

attacked Kapilmuni. In greater Khulna, Kapilmuni had the biggest concentration of Razakars.

Before launching this attack I reconnoitered the whole area around along with 4/5 others.

Some how or the other the Pak troops came to know about the rekki and

they attacked Maguravillage. Failing to capture me the Pak soldiers killed 35 villagers

of Magura. When we received this news we attacked Kapilmuni village. The battle plan was

drawn up jointly by S.M. Babar Ali, Rahmatullah Daru, Lt.Arefin and myself. According to this

plan it was my responsibility to attack the area starting from Madra village to the northern and


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eastern parts of Kapilmuni, the southern and western parts was the responsibility

ofS.M.Babar Ali, Rahmatullah Daru and Lt. Arefin. Acordingly they attacked the area

through Baruli, Kathpara and Khesra villages. I launched the attack through the northern part

of Madra. After a long battle lasting over 62 hours, the Kapilmuni Razakar centre finally fell. We

arrested 177 Razakars alive. Of these 3 of them were less than 11/12 years of age and were

released. Tried by a peoples peoples court the rest 174 of them were executed by a firing

squad at the spot.

Q. What was the loss on your side in this battle?

A. Two of our fighters became Shaheed (Martyr). One of them was a student of B.Com class of

the Khulna College. His name was Anwar and his home was on the other side of the river

near Khulna Jail ferry. The other comrade was also from this area, from the village Khesra. His

name was Shahbuddin. The Razakars surrendered after 72 hours of fighting. 3or 4 of them were

killed. We had also captured several Moulanas. We couldnt arrest two of them. One of them,

named Motiur Rahman. was the president of the Khulna Islamic Chhatra Shangha. Probably he

is now a teacher in some university of Saudi Arabia. The other fellows name isSh. Ansar Ali.

Later on he became a Parliament Member on Jamat ticket. Of the 177 we captured 13

were Qari Mowlanas(those who are good at reciting from the holy Quran Sahreef). Most likely

they belonged to the Al-Badr Bahini. Beside the Kapilmuni operation there were other

memorable battles at Paikgacha, Khardah Yargoti, Bardah, Baliadah and Magura. Members of

our group carried out quite a few operations at Dakop of Satkhira, Paikgacha, Ashashuni,

Tala and Dumuria thanas of Khulna.

Q. Do you know anything about the activities of Commander Nannu of Daulatpur?


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A. We had no direct contact with him. I have to explain something in this

regard. Maniruzzaman Nannu, Bachhu, Khalid, Rashid claim themselves to be freedom

fighters. Khalid died later on. We have never met them. They did not take the same training as

we had taken. They did not take any training arranged by the Bangladesh Government. The

organization with which they were linked was based in West Bengal. They might have taken

training separately in West Bengal under the umbrella of that organization. They had fought in

different areas of Bangladesh as individuals like those belonging to the China faction consisting

of Huq-Toaha, Alauddin, Motin, Deven Sikdar, Purnendu Dastidar and others belonging to the

East Pakistan ML (Marxist and Leninist faction of the Communist Party, also known as Maoist).

These people were also active in our operation areas. They also claim that they are freedom

fighters. But their outlook, ideas and concepts were different from ours. They were known as

Nakshals. They used to think that we were their enemies. Once I was also attacked by them

during an armed engagement (with the enemy). Once one of them Didar Buksh caught and took

me away(to their camp). Later on Didar Buksh became a minister. His brother was Kamel Buksh.

He was a very influential leader of the Nakshals in Satkhira. Later on however they released me.

Their concept and thinking process was completely different from ours. They were more

interested in eliminating classenemies like us than fighting with Pakistan army. They did not

owe their allegiance to the Bangladesh Government; they fought on their own. Even afterindependence, for a long time, they did not recognize the independence of Bangladesh.

Q. Were you attacked during those days by Pakistan army?

A. After the incident at Bhomra I was not attacked directly.

Q. Did any one of your family become Shaheed?


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in Kushtia. I had also released him (on my own responsibility). Then they went on hiding. Later

on many of them returned to normal life.

Q. What did you do after Khulna came under your control?

A. After entering Khulna we distributed ourselves all over the town. We had 21 camps all

together. Our headquarter was set up on the campus of the Commerce College. Maj. Dutta and

Maj. Jalil of the combined forces had set up their residences in the circuit house and

the Khulna port. Lt. M. R. Chowdhury of my area stayed on the campus of Dyan School and

Lt. Khurshid on the poultry farm. We tried to run an efficient administration.

Q. What did you do with your weapons at the end of the war?

A. Bangabandhu returned on Jan 10 (1972) after the country was liberated. And then he sent

out a call to return our weapons. We ceremoniously deposited our weapons at the

Dhaka Paltan Maidan. We had traveled to Dhaka with our weapons loaded on a ship.

Q. What was the condition of your area at the end of the war, schools, colleges, roads,

mosques, temples, markets etc?


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A. Khulna was very badly affected. The town suffered extensive damage. Towards the end of

the war the Pakistan army had destroyed the State Bank and burnt down currency notes

worth Tk. 21 crore. They had destroyed almost everything; schools, colleges, roads, culverts and

everything else. Pakistani soldiers burnt down our own family home twice.

Interviewer: Mahbubur Rahman Mohon

Date of Interview: June 03, 1997

Translation: Faruq Aziz Khan

7. Name: Keramat Ali Biswas

Fathers name: Late Imarat Ali Biswas

P.O: Chuadanga, Municipality: Chuadanga

Education: H.S.C.

Age in 1971: 18 yrs

Occupation in 1971: Student

Present Occupation: Business and Music.


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Q. How did the Pak army arrest you?

A. I will have to answer this question in details. My elder brothers were doing business in

Chaudanga since 1970-71. My father was also a businessman. After the Pak army captured

Chuadanga our business was closed down. Later on when the situation became somewhat

normal my father returned to Chuadanga. We had medicine business. When my father

returned he found everything was gone. There was no medicine in the store. Just before the

Pak army came to Chuadanga my father had hidden some medicine with which he started

doing business again. We are four brothers. None of us had come back to Chuadanga town. We

were still hiding in the village. I think at one time Pak army had received some report against us.

In our area only we four brothers belonged to Students League. We were the better educated

in the locality. There were also some non-Bengalis in our village. It was quite likely that they

had reported against us to the army. I was also a music artiste. I could sing very well: specially

those songs which give inspiration to the people. This is the reason the Biharis used to brand

me as pro-Indian.

In the beginning of May some police men came to our house and took my father to the police

station. They asked my father how many sons he had. My father replied, I have four sons.

Then they asked my father to produce all his sons to the thana (police station), or else he would

have problems. My father then sent message to the village and three of my brothers presented

themselves to the thana. I was away from home and no one could find me. Then

the thana people told my father that if I could not be presented to them then my three

brothers would be handed over to the military. Some of the Biharis also gave my father the

same message. Then my father frantically started looking for me. I was then staying in my elder

sisters house. No body knew this. I was then frantically trying to cross over to India.


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But I was not getting any one to help me. And then I was afraid of traveling alone because if the

Pak army found a young man he was immediately taken into custody. A sense of fear was

working in my mind. My father frantically looking for me everywhere finally came to my sisters

house.

It was the month of July. My father told me everything. Then he took me to Chuadanga town.

Before this happened my father talked to the members of the peace committee of Chuadanga.

They told my father, Bring your son, there would be no problem.

The day after we reached Chuadanga my father took me to the thana. I found most of the

policemen were non-Bengalis. A non-Bengali policeman kept me waiting. The officer-in-charge

of the thana was a Bengali and there was another sub-inspector who was also a Bengali. I was

kept in the hajat(thana prison). There were another 13/14 men in the hajat. I was kept in the

hajat for about 28 days. There was no torture or repression on us. While I was in the hajat

the O.C. and the sub-inspector helped me in some ways. My food used to come from home

everyday and I was allowed to have it although it was out of thana rule. But they let me take it

secretly.

On 28th

day O.C. Mr Daud Hossain told me, Keyamat, may be you will be released. But later

on I came to realize that it was just consolation. Pak army had a temporary camp near the

present Chuadanga Hospital. The Chudanga Sub-divisional hospital was not yet operational

then. The O.C told me that I would have to shift to that camp. There was another boy with me

in the hajat who was known to me. His name was Sentu; he was the younger brother of the F.F

commander of Mongla port area. A few police men took Sentu and me in a rickshaw to this

temporary camp. As soon as we reached the camp we were subjected to terrible torture. At the


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gate a sepoy started hitting us with the butt of his rifle. Then they took us to a place that I

cannot recall to-day. Both of us were unconscious. When we came to some kind of sense we

found ourselves in a small room. Sentu got a little less beating but they did not spare me. Sentu

did a little bit of nursing to me and somehow I regained my senses. I felt there was pin-drop of

silence all around. Then I could sense that I was brought to an army camp.

As the sun went down, a sentry brought a small bucket full of water and some bread in a pot

and pushed them towards us. We thought we were only two persons, what would we do with

so much of bread! Then soon we sensed that we were not the only occupants of the room;

there were so many others, their faces bore the clear marks of torture. The room was dark. We

spoke to each other in a very low voice. There were 47 of them and with two of us we were 49

in total. They split each bread into two pieces. There was some spiced liquid in the bucket. We

were told they got used it; we also joined them and shared the same food.

Three or four days later an officer came to our cell who probably belonged to the Intelligence

Branch. There was a Bihari fellow with him. I knew him. I was somewhat relieved. I thought

since he was around I would get some help from him. The intelligence man made all of us sit

alongside the walls of the room. Then he called rolls. When he was calling rolls he said to me,

your name is Keyamat Ali, tum Keyamat Ali(in urdu). But he did not say anything to Sentu. Then

again he said your name is Keyamat Ali, then in Urdu he said, Toom gana gata hai, (You are a

singer), all right you come here. I did not say anything. Then he said, Tom kitna BihariHow

many Biharis have you slaughtered? You are a Mukti (FF). I did not reply, I refrained from

replying.

The non-Bengali man who was with him was a member of the Razakar force. He was dressed in

Razakar tunic; uniform of a commander. Razakars used to be dressed ordinary clothes. But

those who were given status of a captain or commander had dress like those given to the


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Rakshi bahini after liberation, of dark brown color. I thought the intelligence fellow was giving

him importance. Then this non-Bengali Razakar started interrogating me. I have said before that

I knew him, he was like a friend. He asked me, Keyamat, hen did ye come back from India? I

said, I did not go to India. Why ye(slang of you) are saying this?

He said he saw me at some place drinking water from a tube-well. He thought I was then

returning from India with another fellow accompanying me. I told him why he was telling lies. I

said, It is wrong for you to talk like this.

When I was talking like this the man from the intelligence branch slapped me very hard on my

face. My ea

bangladesh liberation war : oral history

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