Final Victory Over Pak Army in '71

Rajshahi, Pabna had to wait for two more days

17 December 2009, 17:00 PM

Star National Desk

Durjoy Pabna in front of Pabna Deputy Commissioner's Office was built as a mark of respect for the Liberation War martyrs in the district. Photo: STAR

The nation as a whole had the final victory on December 16 in 1971 but the people of Rajshahi and Pabna had to wait for two more days to have the taste of freedom as the Pakistani occupation troops were desperately holding on a few camps there. On the night of December 17 and early December 18, Pakistani forces fled to Natore from Shahid Shamsuzzoha Hall of Rajshahi University, their last camp in Rajshahi, reports our staff correspondent from Rajshahi. Local people rescued a number of injured people including many tortured and abused women from the hall. The Pakistani forces surrendered to the allied forces in Natore on December 20. Sporadic clashes between the local people and Pakistani forces started in early March of 1971. On March 28, Pak forces killed a number of policemen at Rajshahi Police Lines for their refusal to surrender arms. As the freedom fighters under leadership of the then Captain Giasuddin Chowdhury and Captain Rashid started resisting the occupation forces, the latter had to remain confined to Rajshahi Cantonment from April 3 to 13. On April 13, a huge Pak army from Dhaka broke the freedom fighters' resistance. During the next several months, the barbaric army killed a number of people including freedom fighters and many mass graves were later found around Rajshahi town and different areas of the district. Our Pabna Correspondent adds: The freedom fighters entered Pabna town and hoisted the national flag atop Pabna deputy commissioner's office. Even after the surrender of the Pakistan occupation force in Dhaka on December 16, the Pak troops continued holding on their camps at a few places in Pabna district. “When the freedom fighters tried to enter the district headquarters on December 16, the Pak army barricaded the freedom fighters,” said freedom fighter Md Robiul Islam Robi, also a journalist. “At last the Pakistan troops surrendered on December 18 and freedom fighters from different areas of the district entered Pabna town. The freedom fighters then hoisted the Bangladeshi Flag in Pabna Deputy Commissioner office on December 18,” he said. Several thousand common people and freedom fighters borrowed martyrdom as the Pakistani occupation army committed massacres in different areas of the district during the nine months of Liberation War.