By Engr Mamun Islam
RANGPUR, Dec 1, 2020 (BSS) – The decisive victory became evident since the beginning of December, 1971 when ultimate fights of freedom fighters and allied forces started defeating and pushing back the occupation forces from Rangpur region.
The crucial struggles for independence sparked in the region centering Rangpur since beginning of March, 1971 when common people began showing stiff resistance against the Pakistani stratocracy with the only target of achieving the ultimate liberty.
“The Bangalee nation guessed conspiracy of hatred Yahiya Khan who cancelled on March 1 the scheduled parliament sitting on March 3 and declared curfew on the day,” former Rangpur District Muktijoddha Commander Mosaddek Hossain told BSS.
Rejecting cancellation of the scheduled parliament session heatedly, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman called strike on March 2 in Dhaka and March 3 across the country when people of Rangpur started becoming mobilised.
“Thousands of people brought out protest processions breaking curfew in Rangpur city on March 3 challenging the Pakistani regime,” Bablu said.
The crucial struggles factually began in Rangpur from March 3 when minor boy Sangku Samajhder, 12, embraced martyrdom as non-Bengali Sarforaz Khan opened gunfire on him in the protest procession at 9 am.
Rangpur turned into a volatile city through sacrificing Sangku and two other brave sons on March 3 when the situation went out of control of the Pakistani regime forcing them to declare curfew from March 3 to 5 in the city.
“Bangabandhu in his historic March 7 speech in 1971 mentioned martyrdoms of heroic Rangpur sons on March 3,” Bablu said, adding that Rangpur people decisively started marching to achieve independence as per directions in the historic March 7 speech.
Former Rangpur city Muktijoddha Sangshad Commander Sadrul Alam Dulu said Convener of Rangpur unit of Chhatra Sangram Parishad Rafikul Islam Golap received the flag of ‘Swadhin Bangla’ and manifesto of independence sent from Dhaka on March 17.
“The struggles for independence became irretrievable with participation of people when Golap hoisted the flag of ‘Swadhin Bangla’ the Deputy Commissioner’s residence on March 23, 1971,” Dulu said.
Simultaneously, Chhatra League leader Elias Ahmed hoisted the flag of ‘Swadhin Bangla’ at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office in the city.
On March 24, one Sahed Ali, a butcher by profession, suddenly snatched away an LMG from a Pakistani soldier and instantly hit Pakistani Lieutenant Abbas at Nisbetganj area in the city when they were standing there by the side of a jeep.
“Critically injured Lieutenant Abbas succumbed in the hospital at that night and it was the first successful assault of the heroic Rangpur people on the occupation forces,” Dulu added.
Freedom fighter Matiar Rahman said three days after the March 25 crackdowns on innocent Bangalees at Dhaka, some 30,000 of heroic people showed sparkling bravery by attacking Rangpur cantonment with indigenous weapons to capture on March 28, 1971.
Around 600 heroic sons belonging to the Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Oraon, Santal and other ethnic communities embraced martyrdoms in the bid setting up an unmatched example of great courage and sacrifice to achieve national independence.
Since April in 1971, the occupation forces with their local collaborators continued unprecedented genocides and atrocities against humanity further uniting the Bangalees when the War of Liberation rapidly started getting organised shape in Rangpur region.
Freedom fighters started defeating the occupation forces from the end of November in many fierce battles to become insuperable from the beginning of December when the Indian Allied Forces joined them making victory quite noticeable,” Rahman added.
“Freedom fighters and allied forces liberated Panchagarh on November 29, Thakurgaon on December 3, Chilahati on December 5 and Kurigram on December 6 and ultimately liberated Rangpur on December 16 in the region,” Rahman added.