Dinajpur 'mine blast tragedy' day today
Hundreds of FFs killed on this day in 1972
Monument to the victims of January 6, 1972 mine blasts at freedom fighters' transit camp on the premises of Maharaja Girizanath High School in Dinajpur.Photo: STAR
Today the people of Dinajpur will remember the tragic death of hundreds of freedom fighters and common people in mine explosions at a freedom fighters transit camp, setup at Maharaja Girizanath High School ground. Some seven hundred people might have been killed during the incident on January 6, 1972, Dinajpur Freedom Fighters Welfare Association sources said. Marking the incident, the 6th January Smriti Parishad of Dinajpur built a monument with their own initiative at the school ground with a list of 158 martyred freedom fighters and every year they observe the day with placing floral wreaths. After the December 16 final victory, the freedom fighters belonging to erstwhile Sectors 6 and 7 of EBR setup a transit camp at the Maharaja Girizanath High School ground to gather up the freedom fighters of Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh and Joypurhat. The freedom fighters under the supervision of Captain Sharier, the in-charge of the transit camp, started searching out hidden explosives and ammunition left by surrendered Pakistani soldiers. The recovered explosives including mines, anti-tank mines, jumping mines and mortars were piled up at the school ground. On January 6, 1972, the freedom fighters were unloading explosives from two trucks when accidentally a landmine exploded. A number of blasts that followed turned the area into debris and scattered the human limbs spread in all directions. The people from neighbouring areas rushed to the spot and put all their efforts to save the survivors but most of them could not be saved due to inadequate treatment facilities in the post war situation, said Md AK Azad, a witness to the incident who took part in the rescue operation. Over a hundred freedom fighters were buried at Chehelgazi under Dinajpur Sadar upazila in state honour while bodies of many others were taken away by the family members. Dinajpur people have urged the government to take initiative for officially preserving the memory of the tragic incident.
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