HISTORY THE LIBERATION WAR OF BANGLADESH

Fredoom Fighter

The Liberation War of Bangladesh,The people of Bangladesh discovered their identity through Language Movement in 1952.The armed struggle was the culmination of a series of events, situations and issues contributing to the progressively deteriorating relations between East and West Pakistan. The questions of land reforms, state language, inter-wing economic and administrative disparities, provincial autonomy, the defense of East Pakistan and many other consequential questions had been straining the relations between the two wings of Pakistan ever since independence of the country from Britain in 1947. The Liberation War of Bangladesh began on 26 March 1971 and ended with the liberation of Bangladesh on 16 December 1971.
 

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

The general elections of 1970 had made sheikh mujibur rahman , the leader of the awami league which bagged 167 seats out of 169 allotted for East Pakistan, the sole spokesman of the people of East Pakistan and majority leader in the Pakistan National Assembly. But the Pakistan civil and military ruling clique had refused to transfer power to the majority leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his party. Sheikh Mujib also refused to yield to the pressure put on him for undue accommodation. Sheikh's historic address on 7 March 1971 made this point quite clear to the Pakistani military junta. Then began the civil disobedience movement. Meanwhile talks started between Mujib and Yahya to resolve the outstanding issues. While holding talks, the Pakistani military junta was bringing more troops to Bangladesh and at the same time wantonly killing innocent civilians all over the country. This clearly showed that they were totally insincere about handing over power to the elected representatives of Bangladesh. No sooner the talks failed, the genocide began, with the Pakistan army's crackdown on the people of East Pakistan on the midnight of 25 March 1971. The Bengali soldiers serving in the then Pakistan Armed Forces and para militia forces declared instantly their solidarity with the people's liberation war.
 

Pakistani army

The Pakistan Army was ordered to launch operation on Bengali people at midnight of 25 March. According to the plan for operation Search Light two headquarters were established. Major General Rao Farman Ali with 57 Brigade under Brigedier Arbab was responsible for operation in Dhaka city and its suburbs while Major General Khadim Raja was given the responsibility of the rest of the province. Lieutenant General Tikka Khan assumed the overall charge of the operation.

The students and the nationalist political activists put up resistance outside the cantonment. Road blocks were raised to obstruct the march of the Pakistani column to the city areas. The wireless set fitted jeeps and trucks loaded with troops groaned on the streets of Dhaka City at midnight of 25 March.

The first column of the Pakistan army faced obstruction at Farmgate about one kilometre from the cantonment due to a huge road block created by placing big tree trunks across the road. The hulks of old cars and unserviceable steam roller, were also used. Several hundred people chanted the slogan Joi Bangla which lasted for about 15 minutes. But soon guns silenced them. The army moved into the city before scheduled time and started the genocide .

Genocide

The military forces killed everybody in sight on the footpath and destroyed everything on their way. The tanks roared through the streets of Dhaka blasting indiscriminately at the people and official and residential buildings. They gunned down clusters of settlements and set fire on them. Scores of artillery bursts were pounded, while the tanks rumbled into the city roaring the main streets.The Pakistan Army began their genocide by attacking the innocent Bangaladeshis of Dhaka city. The dwellers of Dhaka city never confronted such unimaginable cruelty. The Pakistani army systematically massacred 35,000 Bengali intellectuals and unleashed a brutal war against the Bangalees of East Pakistan to prevent their aspire of independence. But the brave people of this beloved land did not let the dream encircled flag of red and green fall down to dust. The student halls of residence at Dhaka University were raided and numerous students residing there were brutally killed and maimed. They also killed many teachers of Dhaka University. The Hindu concentrated areas of old Dhaka were particularly targeted. They started killing the people, burnt their houses, looted their valuables and raped their women. The genocide that was perpetrated on the unarmed people was flashed in the world press.

 During the nine month struggle which ensued an estimated three million Bengalis died and and ten million refuges fled into India. Sheikh Mujib was imprisoned in west Pakistan. A Bangladesh Government in exile was established. The Bangalees started a smart and courageous guerrilla warfare. At one point, India also got involved in the war. The actual military campaign of India took place in December and lasted only ten days. The Indian Army launched a massive offensive against the Pakistani forces to support the Bangladesh movement. On December 16, 1971, the Pakistan army surrendered.

The ‘Rajoshik’ , a sculpture by Mrinal Haque

The ‘Rajoshik’ ,a sculpture by Mrinal Haque ,at Minto road.in front of Dhaka Sheraton Hotel,at Minto road..Bangladesh

The ‘Rajoshik'

Sheikh Mujib's March 7 Speech

My dear brothers . . .

Sheikh Mujib's March 7 Speech

I have come before your today with a heavy heart.

All of your know how hard we have tried. But it is a matter of sadness that the streets of Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Rangpur and Rajshahi are today being spattered with the blood of my brothers, and the cry we hear from the Bengali people is a cry for freedom a cry for survival, a cry for our rights.
You are the ones who brought about an Awami League victory so you could see a constitutional government restored. The hope was that the elected representatives of the people, sitting in the National Assembly, would formulate a constitution that would assure that people of their economic, political and cultural emancipation. But now, with great sadness in my heart, I look back on the past 23 years of our history and see nothing but a history of the shedding of the blood of the Bengali people. Ours has been a history of continual lamentation, repeated bloodshed and innocent tears.

We gave blood in 1952, we won a mandate in 1954. But we were still not allowed to take up the reins of this country. In 1958, Ayub Khan clamped Martial Law on our people and enslaved us for the next 10 years. In 1966, during the Six-Point Movement of the masses, many were the young men and women whose lives were stilled by government bullets.
After the downfall of Ayub, Mr. Yahya Khan took over with the promise that he would restore constitutional rule, that he would restore democracy and return power to the people.
We agreed. But you all know of the events that took place after that I ask you, are we the ones to blame?

As you know, I have been in contract with President Yahya Khan. As leader of the majority part in the national Assembly, I asked him to set February 15 as the day for its opening session. He did not accede to the request I made as leader of the majority party. Instead, he went along with the delay requested by the minority leader Mr. Bhutto and announced that the Assembly would be convened on the 3rd of March.

We accepted that, agreed to join the deliberations. I even went to the extent of saying that we, despite our majority, would still listen to any sound ideas from the minority, even if it were a lone voice. I committed myself to the support of anything to bolster the restoration of a constitutional government. When Mr. Bhutto came to Dhaka, we met. We talked. He left, sing that the doors to negotiation were still open. Moulana Noorani and Moulana Mufti were among those West Pakistan parliamentarians who visited Dhaka and talked with me about an agreement on a constitutional framework.

I made it clear that could not agree to any deviation from the Six Points. That right rested with the people. Come, I said, let us sit down and resolve matters. But Bhutto’s retort was that he would not allow himself to become hostage on two fronts. He predicted that if any West Pakistani members of Parliament were to come to Dhaka, the Assembly would be turned into a slaughterhouse. He added that if anyone were to participate in such a session, a countrywide agitation would be launched from Peshawar to Karachi and that ever business would be shut down in protest.

I assured him that the Assembly would be convened and despite the dire threats, West Pakistani leaders did come down to Dhaka. But suddenly, on March I, the session was cancelled.
There was an immediate outcry against this move by the people. I called for a hartal as a peaceful form of protest and the masses redial took to the streets in response. And what did we get as a response?

Sheikh Mujib

He turned his guns on my helpless people, a people with no arms to defend themselves. These were the same arms that had been purchased with our own money to protect us from external enemies. But it is my own people who are being fired upon today. In the past, too, each time we the numerically larger segment of Pakistan’s population-tried to assert our rights and control our destiny, the conspired against us and pounced upon us.
I have asked them this before : How can you make your own brothers the target of your bullets?
Now Yahya Khan says that I had agreed to a Round Table Conference on the 10th. Let me point out that is not true.

I had said, Mr. Yahya Khan, your are the President of this country. Come to Dhaka, come and see how our poor Bengali people have been mown down by your bullets, how the laps of our mothers and sisters have been robbed and left empty and bereft, how my helpless people have been slaughtered. Come, I said, come and see for yourself and then be the judge and decide. That is what I told him.


Earlier, I had told him there would be no Round Table Conference. What Round Table Conference, whose Round Table Conference? You expect me to sit at a Round Table Conference with the very same people who have emptied the laps of my mothers and my sisters?
 On the 3rd, at the Paltan, I called for a non-cooperation movement and the shutdown of offices, courts and revenue collection. You gave me full support. Then suddenly, without consulting me or even informing us, he met with one individual for five hours and then made a speech in which he trend all the blame on me, laid all the fault at the door of the Bengali people!
The deadlock was created by Bhutto, yet the Bengalis are the ones facing the bullets! We face their guns, yet its our fault. We are the ones being bit by their bullets- and its still our fault!
So, the struggle this time is a struggle for emancipation, the struggle this time is a struggle for independence! Brothers, they have now called the Assembly to assassin on March 25, with the streets not yet dry of the blood of my brothers. You have called the Assembly, but you must first agree to meet my demands. Martial Law must be withdrawn; the soldiers must return to their barracks; the murderers of my people must be redressed. And …. Power must be handed over to the elected representatives of the people.

Only then will we consider if we can take part in the National Assembly or not! Before these demands are met, there can be no question of our participating in this session of the Assembly. That is one right not give to me as part of my mandate from the masses.
As I told them earlier, Mujibur Rahman refuses to walk to the Assembly trading upon the fresh stains of his brothers’ blood! Do you, my brothers, have complete faith in me….? …. Let me the tell you that the Prime Ministership is not what I seek. What I want is justice, the rights of the people of this land. They tempted me with the Prime Ministership but the failed to buy me over. Nor did the succeed in hanging me on the gallows, for your rescued me with your blood from the so-called conspiracy case. That day, right here at this racecourse, I had pledge to you that I would pay for this blood debt with my own blood. Do you remember? I am read today to fulfill that promise!

I now declare the closure of all the courts, offices, and educational institutions for an indefinite period of time. No one will report to their offices- that is my instruction to you.
So that the poor are not inconvenienced, rickshaws, trains and other transport will ply normally-except serving any needs of the armed forces. If the army does not respect this, I shall not be responsible for the consequences.
The Secretariat, Supreme Court, High Court, Judge’s Courts, and government and semi-government offices shall remain shut. Only banks ma open for two hours daily for business transactions. But no money shall be transmitted from East to West Pakistan. The Bengali people must stay calm during these times. Telegraph and telephone communications will be confined within Bangladesh.

The people of this land are facing elimination, so be on guard. If need be, we will bring everything to a total standstill……. Collect your salaries on time. If the salaries are held up, if a single bullet is fired upon us henceforth, if the murder of my people does not cease, I call upon you to turn ever home into a fortress against their onslaught. Use whatever you can put your hands on to confront this enemy. Ever last road must be blocked. We will deprive them of food, we will deprive them of water. Even if I am not around to give you the orders, and if my associates are also not to be found, I ask you to continue your movement unabated.

I say to them again, you are my brothers, return now to the barracks where you belong and no one will bear any hostility toward you. Only do not attempt to aim any more bullets at our hearts: It will not do any good! ….. And the seven million people of this land will not be cowed down by you or accept suppression any more. The Bengali people have learned how to die for a cause and you will not be able to bring them under your yoke of suppression!
To assist the families of the martyred and the injured, the Awami League has set up committees that will do all they can. Please donate whatever you can. Also, employers must give full pay to the workers who participated in the seven days of hartal or were not able to work because of curfews. To all government employees, I say that my directives must be followed. I had better not see any of you attending your offices. From today, until this land has been freed, no taxes will be paid to the government any more. As of now, the stop. Leave everything to me. I know how to organize movement. But be very careful. Keep in mind that the enemy has infiltrated our ranks to engage in the work of provocateurs. Whether Bengali or non-Bengali, Hindu or Muslim, all is our brothers and it is our responsibility to ensure their safety.

I also ask you to stop listening to radio, television and the press if these media do not report news of our movement. To them, I say, “You are our brothers. I beseech your to not turn this country into a living hell. With you not have to show your faces and confront your conscience some day?
If we can peaceably settle our differences there is still hope that we can co-exist as brothers. Otherwise there is no hope. If you choose the other path, we may never come face one another again. For now, I have just one thing to ask of you: Give up any thoughts of enslaving this country under military rule again!” I ask my people to immediately set up committees under the leadership of the Awami League to carry on our struggle in ever neighborhood, village, union and subdivision of this land.

You must prepare yourselves now with what little you have for the struggle ahead.

Since we have given blood, we will give more of it. But, Insha’Allah, we will free the people of this land!

The struggle this time is for emancipation! The struggle this time is for independence!

Be ready. We cannot afford to lose our momentum. Keep the movement and the struggle alive because if we fall back the will come down hard upon us.

Be disciplined. No nation’s movement can be victorious without discipline.

Joy Bangla!

Sundarbans, The Largest Mangrove Forest in the world,Bangladesh

 The Sundarbans is the largest & most beautifull mangrove forest in the world,Bangladesh.Positioned in the Southern part of Bangladesh.

The Sundarbans is the largest & most beautifull mangrove forest in the world,Bangladesh.Positioned in the Southern part of Bangladesh.
 It lies on the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta at the aspect wright here it merges with the bay of bengal. The forest lies a bit of south to the Tropic of most cancers between the latitudes 21º30´N and 22º30´N, and longitudes 89º00´E and 89º55´E. With its array of bushes and natural world the forest is a showpiece of herbal historical past. It's also a centre of financial actions, equivalent to extraction of wooden, fishing and number of honey. The fore lax consists of approximately two hundred islands, separated by way of approximately four hundred interconnected tidal rivers, creeks and canals. The name Sundarbans means "beautiful jungle" or "beautiful forest". In the Bangla language the word "Sundor" means "Beautiful" and the word ‘Bon’ means "Forest/jungle". The name may have been derived from the Sundari trees that are found in Sundarbans in large numbers.Sundarbans mangrove forest is the largest in the world, and covers areas of India and Bangladesh for more than 80 kilometers in forming Sundarbans National Park, declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco. A third of this area is covered by water and marshes, as well Sundarbans since 1966 has been considered a sanctuary for wildlife because it is estimated that there live about 400 Royal Bengal Tigers and more than 30,000 deer in this area.

Royal Bengal Tiger

Royal Bengal Tiger

The forest lies on the delta of the Padma, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers on the Bay of Bengal. The forest covers 10,000 km² of which about 6,000 are in Bangladesh and the rest part is in India is adjacent to the border. It became inscribed as a World Heritage in 1997. The Sundarbans is estimated to be about 4,110 km², of which about 1,700 km² is occupied by water bodies in the forms of river, canals and creeks of width varying from a few meters to several kilometers .

 

The area is known for the eponymous Royal Bengal Tiger , as well as numerous fauna including species of birds, spotted deer, crocodiles and snakes. It is estimated that there are now 500[citation needed] Bengal tigers and about 30,000 spotted deer in the area. The site is intersected by a complex network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests, and presents an excellent example of ongoing ecological processes. The area is known for its wide range of fauna, including 260 bird species, the Bengal tiger, spotted deer, wild snake and other threatened species such as the estuarine crocodile and the Indian python.Sundarbans is home to many different species of birds, mammals, insects, reptiles and fish. It is estimated that there may be found more than 120 species of fish and over 260 species of birds and more than fifty species of reptiles and eight amphibians. Many tourists go there to see the Bengal tigers, saltwater crocodiles, leopards and snakes cobra. Sundarbans is famous for the

Additionally, the Sundarbans serves a crucial function as a protective barrier for the millions of inhabitants in and around Khulna and Mongla against the floods that result from the cyclone.
All three wildlife sanctuaries were established in 1977 under the Bangladesh Wildlife (Preservation) (Amendment) Act, 1974, having first been gazetted as forest reserves in 1878. The total area of wildlife sanctuaries was extended in 1996. The entire Sundarbans is reserved forest, established under the Indian Forest Act, 1878.

“Jahaj Bari”(boat house)

“Jahaj Bari”(boat house)

This red house with a tall tower like minaret besides the Dhanmondi lake is locally known as “Jahaj Bari”(boat house). But the owner of this house has named this house “Chistiya/Chistia Palace”

Shabash Bangladesh

Shabash Bangladesh

Shabash Bangladesh, a liberation war monument is one of the best achievements of Rajshahi University (RU) as the second largest educational institution of the country. Its architectural beauty attracts visitors from home and abroad.

Anyone who steps into the campus for the first time is impressed by this sculpture. The sculpture is a unique work of the late artist Nitun Kundu.

Shabash Bangladesh is located at 200 feet away from Rajshahi-Natore highway. So anybody can easily observe this great monument when they enter through the RU main gate.
It was opened by late Shaheed Janani Jahanara Imam on Feb 10 in 1992.

A large numbers of visitors come to the campus everyday from different parts of the country to admire the beauty of the monument.

Jagroto Chowrangi' (The Vigilant Crossroad)

Jagroto Chowrangi' (The Vigilant Crossroad)

Jagroto Chowrangi' (The Vigilant Crossroad), a 18 feet high concrete piece on a 24 feet pedestal which is placed at the Joydevpur cross-road. One of most remarkable sculpture is a memorial to the valiant retaliation by Bengali soldiers against the brutal genocide unleashed on 25th March by the Pakistan Army. This was designed by Abdur Razzaque who was among the few talented and dedicated students of the Government Institute of Arts who played a pioneering role in the development of the modern western style of painting in Bangladesh. The monument shows a brave freedom fighter facing the aggressors with a rifle in one hand and a grenade in the other. Although the figure is basically realistic, there is some stylization in the form of exaggeration. This important outdoor piece installed in a public space added a whole new dimension to the art of sculpture in Bangladesh.

Madhobkunda Waterfall

Madhobkunda Waterfall

Madhabkunda waterfall is one of the most attractive tourist spots in Sylhet division. Lots of tourists and picnic parties come to Madhabkunda every day for their enjoyment. You can go to Madhabkunda either from Sylhet if you go by road or from Kulaura if you go by train.

From Kulaura rail station its about one hour journey by microbus to Madhabkunda. The journey to Madhabkunda itself is exotic. On the way you can see the greenish beauty of tea garden, the hills and the zigzag road through the hills will increase the joy of your journey. In Madhabkunda you will see the great waterfall – falls of million tons of water form 200ft. height. Big bolder of stones and the black stones in giving a shape of care in Madhabkundu. There is a Parjatan Motel with a good restaurant for accommodation and fooding.

There is also a district council Bunglow for night stay. Here you can enjoy adventurous feelings to stay in a jungle. All you need to have a prior booking for the bunglow from Moulvibazar Zilla Parishad office.

Sapchari Waterfall in Khagrachari

Sapchari Waterfall in Khagrachari

Sapchari waterfall is situated in Khagrachari Hill district and about 115 km north from Chittagong town. The waterfall is near to the sapchari village and is emerged out Alutila Hill Range situated by the Chengi River.

One may go to Khagrachari by bus from chittagong city. From Khagrachari bus terminal using rickshaw or some other means s/he may reach at Khabangpujjya. Then across the Chengi river the Sapchari village is situated. In the south of the Sapchari village the Sapchari waterfall is located.

The landscape is very charismatic and the whole view of Khagrachari town can be observed from the top of the waterfall.

Lalmai, Moinamoti and Shalbon Bihar

Lalmai, Moinamoti and Shalbon Bihar

Lalmai, Moinamoti and Shalbon Bihar are famous historical and archeological places around Comilla. These are a series of hillocks, where the Northern part is called Moinamoti and the Southern part is called Lalmai; and Shalbon Bihar is in the Middle of Lalmai and Moinamoti, which the was established in 8th century by King Buddadev. SalbanVihara, almost in the middle of the Mainarnati-Lalmai hill range consists of 115 cells, built around a spacious courtyard with cruciform temple in the center facing its only gateway complex to the north resembling that of the Paharpur Monastery.

Kotila Mura, situated on a flattened hillock, about 5 km north of SalbanVihara inside the Comilla Cantonment, is a picturesque Buddhist establishment. Here three stupas are found side by side representing the Buddhist “Trinity” or three jewels i.e. the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

Charpatra Mura is an isolated small oblong shrine situated about 2.5 km north-west of Kotila Mura stupas. The only approach to the shrine is from the east through a gateway, which leads to a spacious hall.

If you are in Comilla don’t miss to go Moinamoti Museum – where you will find the historical things found in Lalmai & Moinamoti of 7th & 8th centuries. The Mainamati site Museum has a rich and varied collection of copper plates, gold and silver coins and 86 bronze objects. Over 150 bronze statues have been recovered mostly from the monastic cells, bronze stupas, stone sculptures and hundreds of terracotta plaques each measuring on an average of 9″ high and 8″ to 12″ wide. Mainamati is only 114 km from Dhaka City and is just a day’s trip by road on way to Chittagong.

Beautiful view of the Jatiyo Sriti Soudho (National Martyrs' Memorial).

Beautiful view of the Jatiyo Sriti Soudho (National Martyrs' Memorial).

              
The monument is located in Savar, about 35 km north-west of the capital, Dhaka. It was designed by Syed Mainul Hossain. Photo captured by: Mariah Farzana Esha

Statue of Pritilata Waddedar..

Statue of Pritilata Waddedar..

This Statue is in font of Bangladesh Railway Govt. High School, Chittagong...

Statue of Pritilata Waddedar..

Pritilata Waddedar:(5 May 1911 – 23 September 1932) was an anti-British pro-India revolutionary in East Bengal, (then part of Province of Bengal in pre-independence India), now in Bangladesh.
Born in Chittagong on 5 May 1911, she was a meritorious student at the Dr. Khastagir Government Girls' School of Chittagong and passed the matriculation examination in the first division in 1928.[1] She continued her education in Eden College, Dhaka and in 1929, she passed the Intermediate examinations securing the fifth place among all the candidates from Dhaka Board.[1] Two years later, Pritilata graduated in Philosophy with distinction from Bethune College of Kolkata. In her college days, Pritilata was used to visit Ramkrishna Biswas, a rebel who later was hanged. Pritilata received combat training from Nirmal Sen. He died on 10/11 June 1932.

In early 1930s, Pritilata joined Mastarda Surya Sen's armed resistance movement. In 1932, Surya Sen planned an attack on the Pahartali European Club, which bore the notorious sign 'Dogs and Indians not allowed'. He assigned Pritilata to lead a team of 10-12 men that would attack the Club on September 23, 1932.[1][2] Members of the team were instructed to carry potassium cyanide with them so that in case they were caught by police they could swallow it before the arrest. Kalpana Dutt, a fellow revolutionary of Pritilata said, "Surya Sen told us he does not support suiciding. But he took Potassium Cyanide from me before he went".[1] The raid was successful but Pritilata, dressed as a man was trapped without a way of escape on that fateful night. She committed suicide by swallowing the cyanide, thus ending her short endeavor in fighting for freedom of her country.

Kingfisher of Bangladesh

Kingfisher of Bangladesh
 
Kingfisher of Bangladesh. This is the image of kingfisher. Local name: Masranga. This bird lives about all of the area of Bangladesh. But mainly bank of the river, pond, lake, farm etc. This is an awesome matter that he can hunt the fish very quickly.

Kingfisher of Bangladesh