Gallantry Award Recipient Freedom Fighters of Sylhet: Gallantry Award Recipient Freedom Fighters of Sylhet

By Anwar Shahjahan

Gallantry Award Recipient Freedom Fighters of Sylhet by Anwar Shahjahan

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Apr 24, 2021
• ISBN: 9781008971837

Book preview

Gallantry award

recipient freedom

fighters of Sylhet

Gallantry award

recipient freedom

fighters of Sylhet

Anwar Shahjahan

Pandulipi Prokashon

Gallantry award

recipient freedom

fighters of Sylhet

Anwar Shahjahan

Published by

Bayjid Mahmud Foysol

Pandulipi Prokashon

112, Al-Falah Tower, East Dopadigirpar, Sylhet.

Cell: +0088-01712-868329

e-mail: [e-mail]

Copy right

Afsana Shahjahan

Tayyibah Shahjahan

Published at

Omor Ekushey Gronthomela 2021

Cover Design

Bayjid Mahmud Foysol

Composed by

M. A. Momin

Printed by

Pandulipi Printing & Packaging, Sylhet

Price

⦁ Tk. 160.00  ⦁ £10.00  ⦁ $15.00

ISBN: 978-984-8031-96-4

Dedication

In memory of my respected father

Hazi Abdul Mutlib

And

To the title-holder freedom fighters

of Sylhet and, their families

Other published books of Anwar Shahjahan

Moddaner Kolahol (Selection of poems, 1993)

Kojon Kritisontan ((Biography, 1994)

Shomoyer Sreshto Chhora (Selection of Short poems, 1995)

Bilater Dinguli O Onnanno Proshango (Essay, 1996)

Golapganjer Itihash O Oitijjo (History, 1996 & 2015)

Shadinotajudde Khetabprapto Bir Muktijudda (Part-1, 2016)

Shadinotajudde Khetabprapto Bir Muktijudda (Part-2, 2017)

Sylheter Khetabprapto Bir Muktijudda (2018)

Monuments and Memorials of Bangladesh Liberation War in Sylhet (2018)

Forward

‘‘If you don’t know where you’ve come from, how will you appreciate where you’re going?’’ This quote has been reverberating whilst I am penning this to express my inner thoughts about the destination of this book.

The Bangladesh Liberation War is one of the most significant events that has taken place in the 4000 years old history of the Bengali race. This is the only moment when the Bengalis rose from the ashes of the phoenix to the zenith of the pinnacle. This is an epitome of the finest hours in our history.

The history of our liberation war & the heroes of that epic war will always remain as one the bravest episode for the centuries to come and for the future generations to learn their ancestors' heroism. Although it has often been raptured, misconstrued, and attenuated by the vested quarter who were either defeated or collaborators of the perpetrators. A massive campaign of propaganda has been perpetuating home and abroad to vilify the Liberation War. Especially, amongst the expatriate diasporas present generations. The history of their ancestors and the bravery and sacrifices of the golden sons of the roots were obscured deliberately, with alternative narratives borrowed and concocted in conjunction with the Pakistan army and its rolling class. However, the truth cannot be concealed. The irony is these histories of our freedom fighters and their valiant patriotism seldom reach a wider foreign audience or the diaspora readers whose first language is not our vernacular, as these are not being written in English. The diaspora generations are lacking to identify role models and are purposely diverted to not to do much of soul searching to find out about the heroes of the Liberation War. Many of them made to believe that, it was not a major event in our lives, and they are being channelized to find resonance with peoples of heroism from faraway lands. Categorically trying to obliterate the course of history. This book will satiate the thrust of an inquisitive bibliophile, the writer has ventured out to write about the ‘’heroism of the heroes ‘’ of land from where these readers forefathers come from. 

The recipients of the glorious gallantry awards from Sylhet will always resonate a tune of melancholia of pride, joy, sacrifice, and glory amongst the readers of this book from the Sylheti origin and also will showcase to the glorious past of the Sylheti people to the readers from the wider world. Although a battle or conflict or warfare can never be folklore or legend of triumphs, nonetheless, it certainly can be an epic story of courage, fearlessness, patriotism, and gallantry.

I have the great magnitude of affiliation with the liberation war and I in awe with the tales of those heroes who sacrificed their yesterday for our today.

Finally, my gratitude and solemn homage to the great sons of Sylhet who braved the mighty liberation war along with my father.

Last but not the least, my appreciation & best wishes for the author Anwar Shahjahan to promote the history of our glorious liberation war.

Lieutenant Imran A. Chowdhury (Rtd.)

United Kingdom

Introduction

One

Located in the north-east corner of Bangladesh, Sylhet division (former Sylhet district) is comprised of Sylhet, Habiganj, Sunamganj and Moulvibazar districts. Before independence in 1971, Sylhet had been included in Chittagong Division as Sylhet district. Later, under the administrative reorganisation made by the government, Sylhet division was formed as the sixth division of Bangladesh comprising of four districts on 29th June 1995 Thursday. The area of this division is 1,259,595 square kilometres.

Two

On the 26th March 1971, 75 million desperate freedom-loving people irrespective of parties and opinions (except some exceptions) came down on the field of war responding to the call of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with whatever weapons they had. By fighting a bloody fierce war for 9 months, people of this country snatched the red sun of independence. Through the victory of this war, the existence of Bangladesh was recognised as a separate nation entity in the globe. War of liberation has given this nation a history of bravery with heritage and the identity of a state. People of Sylhet participated in this decisive armed struggle following this traditional path of revolution. Since the night of 7th March in 1971, Sylhet was ready for resistance. From the night of 25th March to December 16th, the Victory Day, the roles, and contributions of Sylheti people were unique.

The formal planning of the war of liberation was made in this Sylhet region. Mentionable that from the beginning of the war of liberation to the formation of Mujibnagar Government, the sons of the soil of Sylhet put up armed resistance at various areas of the country. In this respect, the most important event that on April 4th 1971, Lieutenant Colonel Abdur Rob, Lieutenant Saleh Uddin Mohammad Reza, Major Quazi Nurujjaman, Major Khaled Mosharraf, Major Nurul Islam, Major Shaffat Jamil, Major Moinul Hussain Chowdhury and other army officers gathered at Teliapara and formed ‘Mukti Bahini’ (liberation force) under the leadership of Colonel MAG Osmani to carry out the armed struggle against the Pakistani occupation force. After just six days, the provisional government of Bangladesh at abroad was due to be formed at Agortola on April 10th. At the same meeting, four regional commanders were appointed. They were Major KM Shofiullah, Major Ziaur Rahman, Major Khaled Mosharraf and Major Abu Osman Chowdhury. But later, this government was formed at Baidyanathtala of Meherpur on April 17th. Baidyanathtala was renamed as Mujibnagar and provisional government of Bangladesh became known as Mujibnagar Government since then. MAG Osmani was appointed as Commander-in-Chief of the provisional Mujibnagar Government.

At first, Lieutenant (Rtd) MA Rob MNA (Khagaura, Baniachong) was appointed as the adviser of Prime Minister Taj Uddin Ahmed and later, he was appointed as Chief of Army Staff. Colonel (Rtd) A.R Chowdhury became Asst. Chief of Staff, Major Chitta Ranjan Dutta (Chunarughat, Habiganj) became commander of sector No. 4 and Major Abdul Fattah Chowdhury (Beanibazar) became staff officer at the Office of Chief of Staff. From the military department, Major Moinul Hussain Chowdhury (Shiorkhal, Balaganj), Captain Mohammad Azizur Rahman (Chottrish, Golapganj), Captain Ezaz Ahmed Chowdhury (Fulbari, Golapganj), Colonel M M K Z Jalalabadi, Major General Harun Ahmed Chowdhury (Charkhai, Beanibazar), Lieutenant Colonel Nironjon Bhattacharja, Lieutenant Colonel Taher Uddin Akhonji, Captain (Retd.) M A Mutalib, Syed Moin Uddin Ahmed (Nizampur, Habiganj), Lieutenant S H M B Noor Chowdhury (Boroikandi, Dakshin Surma), Lieutenant Imam-uj-Jaman (Beanibazar), Lieutenant Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury (Bhadeshwar, Golapganj) and many others took part in the war of liberation. Besides, many personnel from EPR and police force took part in the war.

At that time Tawfiq-E-Elahi Chowdhury (Nateshwar, Beanibazar) was a Deputy Secretary at Civil Secretariat of the independent Bangladesh Government. Later, he joined the military force. Abdul Hannan Chowdhury (Khubajpur Jagannathpur), then district Judge of Dinajpur, was Appointment Secretary in Ministry of Law but he was in the war field. Khosrujjaman Chowdhury (Astoghori, Beanibazar) was appointed 2nd Deputy Secretary in Ministry of Home affairs.

All MNAs and MPAs of greater Sylhet, elected in the election of 1970, participated in the war of liberation. Only Dr. Abdul Hashim of Habiganj worked for Pakistan. Dewan Farid Gazi (Nabiganj) was Chairman of north-east zone in Mujibnagar administration. He also discharged the duty of the administration of the liberated areas of greater Sylhet and Kishoreganj. Abdus Samad Azad (Jagannathpur), as a visiting representative on behalf of Bangladesh, participated at Budapest Peace Conference and relentlessly made efforts to achieve supports of various countries including those of Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Humayun Rashid Chowdhury performed the duties of diplomatic representative of Bangladesh Government at New Delhi.

Apart from this, many other political individuals from Sylhet contributed in the war of liberation. Among them, Akshay Kumar Das, A H Sadot Khan, Borun Ray, Bidhu Bhushon Dasghupto, Ismot Ahmed Chowdhury, Moyazzem Ahmed Chowdhury, Guljar Ahmed, Iqbal Ahmed Chowdhury, Mahbubur Rob Sadi, Siraj Uddin Ahmed, Bijon Bihari Das, Akaddos Sirajul Islam, Jakir Khan Chowdhury are well mentioned.

Youth and student folks of Sylhet have put marks of bravery and valence in the history of our war of liberation. Among them Dewan Nurul Hussain Chonchol, Akter Ahmed, Anamul Haque Chowdhury, Ilias Ahmed Chowdhury, Sadar Uddin Chowdhury, Moksud Ibne Aziz Lama, Ashraf Ali, Shah Azizur Rahman, Babrul Hussain Babul, Iftekhar Hussain Shamim, Bedanondo Bhottacharjo, Nuruzzaman, Saidur Rahman Khan Mahtab, Nurul Islam, Shuyeb Ahmed Chowdhury, Puronjoy Chokroborti, Nurul Islam Nahid, Syed Mohsin li, Rafiqul Haque, Abdul Basit, Masuk Uddin Ahmed, Bondhu Gupal Das, Yamin Chowdhury, Oyesur Rahman and M A Muktadirer Nam are mentionable.

Three

During the liberation war of Bangladesh, by order