Thakurgaon, Kotalipara were freed on this day

2 December 2009, 17:00 PM

Star National Desk

Martyrs' memorial on the premises of the public library in Thakurgaon town, inset, Hemayet Uddin Bir Bikram, commander of the Hemayet Bahini during the Liberation War, sitting in front of his house in Gopalganj. Photo: STAR

Today is December 3. On this day in 1971, valiant freedom fighters hoisted the flag of independent Bangladesh in Thakurgaon town and Kotalipara in Gopalganj by defeating the Pakistan occupation forces. Following a serious battle with freedom fighters the previous night, Pakistani occupation forces retreated from Thakurgaon town on December 2 and took shelter at Sayedpur Cantonment. Freedom fighters entered the town on December 3 morning. As the news spread, people from the adjacent villages came to the town and rejoiced by chanting slogans 'Joy Bangla' with freedom fighters. Shortly after the Pakistani occupation forces started crackdown in Dhaka on March 26 in 1971, freedom-loving people in Thakurgaon brought out protest processions. Braving to shout 'Joy Bangla' before a non-Bangali Major, rickshaw-puller Mohammad Ali became the first martyr of the Liberation War in Thakurgaon. During the next several months, the Pakistan forces and their collaborators killed many innocent people including those who were trying to flee to India for safety. As freedom fighters increased attack on the Pakistani forces from the beginning of November in 1971, the present Panchagarh district was freed on November 29 and Pakistan occupation forces took shelter at the then Thakurgaon EPR camp. In the face of joint attack by the freedom fighters and allied forces, Pakistan forces and their collaborators finally fled from Thakurgaon and the entire district was freed on December 3. To mark the day Thakurgaon Nagorik Committee, Freedom Fighters' association and different organisations have taken different programmes including placing floral wreaths on the martyrs' memorial and discussion meeting, reports our Thakurgaon correspondent. A correspondent adds from Gopalganj: Hemayet Bahini, who played a glorious role in the struggle for freedom in the region during the liberation war, freed Kotalipara in Gopalganj on December 3, 1971 by defeating about a 500-strong Pakistan army. "My forces had cornered the Pakistani troops through persistent attacks. In a meeting with 24 sub commanders on December 2 night, we decided to launch the final attack on occupation forces," recalls Hemayet Uddin Bir Bikram, commander of Hemayet Bahini. Before the dawn, the freedom fighters led by commander Hemayet started attack from four sides and compelled over 400 Pakistani soldiers to surrender to Hemayet Bahini at 10:00am on December 3.