Bangalees tried to capture Rangpur cantonment on March 28

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By Mamun Islam

RANGPUR, March 27, 2020 (BSS) – The Bangalees showed glaring heroism attempting to capture Rangpur cantonment on March 28 in 1971, only three days after Pakistani crackdown, promptly spreading the War of Liberation in the region.

On that day in 1971, around 30,000 independence-seeker Bangalee Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists, Oraon, Santal and other ethnic communities equipped with lethal and sharp weapons like spears, arrows and bows attempted to capture Rangpur cantonment.

According to freedom fighters and book ‘Juddhe Juddhe Swadhinota’ written by Major Nasir Uddin, an uncounted number of Bangalees irrespective of caste, creed and religion from many villages rushed toward Nishbetganj in the city.

Then Awami League (AL) leader Sheikh Amjad Hossain chaired a meeting that was addressed by CPB leader late Comrade Sayer Uddin and AL leader Majibar Rahman Master when thousands assembled at Nishbetganj to march toward the cantonment.

Talking to BSS, former District Muktijoddha Commander Mosaddek Hossain Bablu said it was about 4 to 5 pm when thousands of independence-seeker Bangalees already reached there to capture the cantonment at any cost.

“They started rushing toward the cantonment as per a previous plan that was leaked out to the Pakistani occupation army, as the anti-liberation forces like non-Bengali Behari collaborators were planning to eliminate the Bangalees,” he said.

Pakistani Brigadier General Abdullah Malik was the then Brigade Commander of the 23rd Brigade Headquarters stationed at the cantonment that was equipped with automatic heavy arms, artilleries, tanks and ammunition with huge Pakistani occupation forces.

At one stage, some 10 military jeeps with browning machine guns started showering automatic gunfire toward the Bangalees that continued for about five minutes killing over 600 Bangalees and injuring hundreds more.

The massacre and genocide were committed by the Pakistani occup[ation army led by war criminals Brigadier General Abdullah Malik, Colonel Sagir and other Pakistani Army Officers and their collaborator non-Bengali Behari soldiers and officers.

Under the command of Colonel Sagir, most of the bodies of martyred Bangalees were collected and burnt and many bodies and burnt remains were put into the mass grave at Nishbetganj Baddhyabhumi in the city.

All these happenings were witnessed by Bangalee Officers Major Nasir Uddin, Lieutenant Badiuzzaman and Lieutenant Hashem, and at one stage, Colonel Sagir became very angry on them for their silence after the whole genocide was completed.

After the March 28 Nishbetganj genocide, people of Rangpur region, Bangalee Army Officers, EPR members, students, farmers, teachers, youths, lawyers, socio-cultural activists and everybody of all ages fervently vowed to liberate the nation.

The message reached quicker to Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Nilphamari, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Panchagarh and adjoining areas when thousands of students, youths, police and Ansar started fleeing homes to join the Mukti Bahini.

“The political and student leaders instantly began organising the War of Liberation and conducting attacks against occupation forces with fierce resistance following Nishbetganj massacre that ignited a fire in the mind of every Bangalee,” Bablu said.

Captain Nawajesh set up the Headquarters of the EPR Bahini at Kurigram and started organising resistance against the occupation forces and soon killed 15 Pakistani Army men, including Major Ezaz and OC of Kawnia Thana, at Teesta Bridge frontal battle.

And thus, the heroism of the secular Bangalees on March 28 at Nishbetganj ignited real heroism in all Bangalees when they started fighting decisively till achieving the national Independence on December 16 in 1971.

In remembrance of supreme sacrifice of the 600 heroic Bangalees, Bangladesh Army has built Nishbetganj Baddhyabhumi Smriti Soudha ‘Rakta Gaurab’ where the grateful people pay rich tribute to the martyrs on March 28 every year.