RANGPUR, Mar 2, 2020 (BSS) – The people of Rangpur sacrificed their
three heroic sons while participating in the immense curfew-breaking protest
processions during the non-cooperation movement on March 3, 1971 in the city.
The three martyred sons of Rangpur were Sangku Samajhder, 12, a student
of class six, college student Abul Kalam Azad, 22, and government employee
Omar Ali, 45, of the city.
According to elderly people and freedom fighters, supreme sacrifice of
three brave sons instantly created mass anger among the people of Rangpur
uniting them to snatch away independence from Pakistani occupiers.
“The city turned explosive since March 1 when hatred Pakistani President
Yahiya Khan cancelled the scheduled parliament session on March 3, 1971 and
declared a curfew on the day,” said former Treasurer of Begum Rokeya
University Professor Mozammel Haque.
He said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with huge
hatred vehemently rejected cancellation of the scheduled parliament session
and called strike on March 2 in Dhaka and March 3 throughout the country.
“A meeting of student leaders was held at ‘Panga House’ in the city on
March 2 chalked out next strategies with Chhatra League leader Rafikul Islam
Golap in the chair,” said General Secretary of district Ghatok Dalal Nirmul
Committee Moazzem Hossain Lablu.
Accordingly, thousands of people brought out massive protest processions
breaking curfew on March 3 in the city when the whole Bangalee nation was in
unprecedented non- cooperation movements against the Pakistani regime.
“At about 9 am, Sangku of Guptapara area, came out without taking
breakfast along with his elder brother Kumaresh Samajhder Babu, a student of
class eight, and participated in the non-cooperation movement rally,” Lablu
said.
Freedom fighter Akbor Hossain said the brave Bangalees paraded the
streets chanting slogans ‘Tomar Amar Thikana- Padma Meghna Jamuna’, ‘Tomar
Neta, Amar Neta- Sheikh Mujib, Sheikh Mujib’, ‘Yahiyar Mukhe lathi Maro-
Bangladesh Swadhin Karo’.
Originating from Kachari Bazar, student leaders from different areas
organized the curfew-breaking spontaneous rally that was also attended by the
then Awami League (AL) leader Siddique Hossain with hundreds of leaders and
workers.
“At one stage, non-Bengali Behari Sarforaz Khan opened gunfire from his
house in Alamnagar area at Sangku who succumbed to his injuries on way to
hospital at 9:30 am,” said former District Muktijoddha Commander Mosaddek
Hossain Bablu.
The news of martyrdom of Sangku instantly ignited sleeping bravery in
every Bangalee when thousands of them came out to participate in the massive
processions and started storming business centres and shops of the non-
Bengali Beharis in the city.
At one stage, the angry people attempted to attack the house of non-
Bengali Sarforaz Khan, who opened the gunfire at Sangku, when the then EPR
members created security circle there.
“Sangku was the country’s first martyr who was killed at around 9:30 am
by Beharis though many other heroic sons embraced martyrdom on the same day
across the country on March 3, 1971,” Bablu added.
By this time, the non-Bengali Beharis shot student of Rangpur College
Abul Kalam Azad to death at Batar Goli Mour and stabbed government employee
Omar Ali on Dewanbari road in the city by noon further triggering anger among
the people.
“Martyrdom of the three brave sons of Rangpur on March 3 factually
ignited heart of every Bangalee and united them to take part in the ultimate
struggle for independence as per the call of Bangabandhu,” Bablu added.
Bangabandhu in his historic speech of Independence on March 7, 1971 at
the then Race Course Maidan mentioned the death of the heroic sons including
Sangku, who made Rangpur prideful for ever by giving life.