A valiant freedom fighter
Mr. SM Kamaluddin who was a valiant freedom fighter passed away on 4 June 2009. He was buried in Middle Madarsha, Hathajari Chittagong on Saturday, June 6, 2009 with state honour.
During 1971, Modinaghat by the river Halda, a branch of the river Karnaphuli, was an extremely important strategic location in our liberation war. There was a centre by the Modinaghat Bridge through which power distribution used to take place. There was a check post of the Pakistan army at Modinaghat. The post was highly fortified and the Pak army was extremely vigilant there. This location was a symbol of the tyranny, arrogance, abuse, killings and atrocities committed by the Pak forces in our area.
During the Independence war, Mr. Kamal led the Mukti Bahini in a well planned attack against Pakistani Army at this post. There were heavy casualties on the Pakistani side. The power distribution plant was destroyed, which was one of the objectives. This was one of the first major successful attacks against the Pakistan army in Chittagong. The attack was symbolic as it instilled confidence in the people to defeat the enemy.
The Pak forces spread rumours in the aftermath of the operation that Mr. Kamal was killed and his dead body was floating in the river Halda.
We were extremely sad. While this was going on, we got the news through an informant that uncle Kamal was alive and that he would be coming to our village home on a particular night to see us. I wanted to go to see him along with my father. My father thought about the danger involved in going to see him. At the end love and desire to see him won over reason.
We secretly travelled from the city to our village home. Uncle Kamal came home at night. He embraced me and lifted me up in his arms. I was not old enough to join the Mukti Bahini in 1971, but will remember this moment as long as I live to tell the posterity about the days of our liberation war.
He was involved in many successful operations against the Pak forces until the liberation of Bangladesh on 16 December 1971. The entire nation was ecstatic on 16th December 1971. We finally greeted him with flowers on December 18, 1971 upon his return from the battlefield. You had to be there to breathe and smell the freedom in the air of liberated Bangladesh!
My hats off to you my dear uncle. May Allah give you the best place in the heaven as the reward for fighting against injustice and for taking the side of the people in protecting and liberating them.
And thanks to you I have seen the birth of Bangladesh from so close and thanks to you I have tasted freedom with its true meaning.
I would like to urge Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to honour this valiant son of our soil, so that his contribution to the liberation of Bangladesh would be remembered forever.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments