150 policemen sacrificed lives

"Base for all stations. Please keep note. Keep listening, watch. We are already attacked by Pak army. Try to save yourself."

This was the message Md Shahjahan Mia, wireless operator at Rajarbagh Police Lines, sent out warning the country's people of Pakistan army's atrocities, launched on March 25, 1971.

Speaking in front of an audience at Central Shaheed Minar, the freedom fighter reminisced about how police put up the first resistance against the occupation army with weapons like .303 rifles.

Shahjahan, along with nayek Abul Farok, constables Kanchan Ali Mia, Jahirul Haque Jahir, Nurul Islam and Moksed Ali, yesterday inaugurated the three-day long "Swadhinota Utsob" organised by Sammilito Sangskritik Jote.

Cultural programmes will be held at Shaheed Minar and Dhanmondi's Rabindra Sorobor till Independence Day on March 26, while the "Black Night" of March 25 will be observed by lighting lamps at Rajarbagh Police Lines today, between 7:00pm to 12:00 midnight.

"Police decided to put up resistance when they received a wireless message from a patrol team around 10:15pm on March 25, 1971 that about 37 trucks packed with Pakistani troops were proceeding towards Dhaka city from the cantonment," Shahjahan said. During the three hours of fight, about 150 police members sacrificed their lives and many were captured, and later tortured and executed by the Pakistani army, he added. "However, it pains me to see that none from the police force got any gallantry award."

Cultural activists expressed their gratitude to the police force both for their contribution in the Liberation War and their role in ensuring security to citizens in the ongoing violence.

They said the 20-party alliance led by BNP-Jamaat had made police as their target of attack.

"After 44 years, the BNP-Jamaat alliance is on a killing spree, against general people," said noted cultural personality Ramendu Majumder.

"Today's movement for caretaker government is an excuse to protect the war criminals and save themselves (BNP leaders) from corruption cases," said Golam Kuddus, president of Sammilito Sangskritik Jote, observing the programme with the call to resist terror and sabotage.