The Freedom Fighter

Surya Sen (22 March 1894 – 12 January 1934) was a Bengali freedom fighter who fought against the British rule in India. He was very famous as an ideological mentor among the youths at that time riveted by nationalistic spirit. He conducted several daring raids against British government in Chittagong harassing their rule of exploitation. Finally he was arrested and hanged by the British raj on 12th January, 1934. On his 80th death anniversary we remember this great martyr of freedom.

Masterda Surya Sen

Becoming “Masterda”
! Born in Raozan upazilla in Chittagong Surya Sen got involved with Onushilan Shamiti, a revolutionary organisation from his early life.
! As he was a teacher of Nandankanon National School, he was popular among his workers as “masterda” (da is a suffix of Bengali language denoting brother)
! Later he joined the Indian National Congress and become the head of its Chittagong branch

Martyrdom
! Surya Sen started his fugitive life and disguised sometimes as a farmer, priest even a Muslim preacher to avoid arrest
! Later he was handed over to the police by one of his treacherous compatriot in 1933
! After a summery trial and torturous imprisonment (they broke all of his joints and limbs) he was hanged on 12th January at Chittagong Central Jail.

The Raid and Resistance
! On 18th April 1930 he with his activists raided the armoury of police and looted all the arms and established resistance at Jalalabad Hills of Chittagong
! He was the first revolutionary to isolate Chittagong from the rest of the British Raj
! He was the first man to hoist national flag in Chittagong
! But soon revolutionaries ran out of supplies and ammunition and got cornered in the hills by the British army.
! 12 revolutionaries died and some of them managed to flee including Surya Sen

Legacy
! A residential hall of Dhaka University has been named after by this revolutionary called, “Masterda Surya Sen Hall”
! A film named Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey was made on the life of Surya Sen directed by Ashutosh Gowariker
! Chittagong (film) made by Bedabrata Pain which released in 2012 was based on the story of the armoury raid