Muktijuddho....

Akku Chowdhury

Sometime it’s hard, for me, to believe that this is 2021 and 50 years ago some of us still alive today, were part of a transformation of a region and curve out a home for our people, our nation, our Bangladesh. As I try to sit down to write, words just don’t come out, because I never thought 1971 was a past as it constantly keeping buzzing in my head. Fifty years is a long time when you come to think of it and I understand because I have aged. Lots of details, names, incidences, actions, fear, gore and glory keeps coming and fading out. It’s there in the hard disk but not sure when or ever if the files will open. I am sure like me those who were alive and living through those nine months carry some memories that keeps haunting them too. As we celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the liberation war we can’t forget how from the ashes this country has evolved like a Phoenix. The death and destruction that was left by the marauding Pakistani soldiers in the nine months war is unimaginable. When I see the progress of the nation as a whole compared to the time in the late sixties when I was a high school student and demonstrating in the streets of Dacca for equal opportunity as a citizen of Pakistan and today’s high school students who can demonstrate for a safer road. The difference is 50 years ago I was fighting for my right to exist as a human being, my right to access to equal opportunity for education, jobs and scholarships. Although I was supposed to be a Pakistani but being a Bangalee the Pakistanis felt they were superior to me and had more rights than me. Today my grandchildren are also protesting but for better governance, education facilities, better health care, safer streets and social securities. Today’s Children are born free in a country that is governed, guarded and secured by their own kinds. I don’t need to go into socio-economic dissection to show how much better off we are and that in 50 years ‘it’s a great achievement’. As a freedom fighter I feel proud and Salute my fellow fighters who did dare to rise to the occasion and responded to their conscience and marched to the call of Joi Bangla.

After the dreadful night of March 25 1971 when the Pakistani Military unleashed the reign of terror on the innocent people of Bangladesh there was no turning back. As far as I can recollect me and my family were cornered at a relative’s home in Paribag. On that fearful night after a tiring days of demonstrations what waking me up were the sounds from flares, bullets and shells flying over our roofs. I saw the fear of death in everyone’s eyes in the dim dark room. Some are trying to look out to see which way the firing is coming from but making sure heads were down. I remember the office of a Newspaper behind the Sakura Restaurant burning all night. I was feeling angry and in silence cursing the cowardly act of the Pakistani soldiers. The flags flying on the rooftop had to be brought down and as I saw the green, red and golden map of Bangladesh shining by the fires from the building next block being taken down fearfully, I was becoming more determined, that there was no choice but join the resistance in whatever form it comes to free ourselves as a nation.

From the beginning of March 1971, once the Pakistanis abandoned the idea of handing over the power to the elected majority Leader Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, it was clear there will be a confrontation. When Bangabandhu declared on 7th. March that this is the final struggle and we better be prepared to fight with whatever we have for our freedom and our emancipation. The spirit of 71 was sowed on us all freedom loving Bangales on that day. Therefore when I saw the madness and mindless terrorizing of the innocent people by the Pakistanis it was also clear to me they have declared a war and I must defend my motherland so it was reassuring that Bangabandhu was ready to guide us. I am sure not just like me most of my young friends had made up their mind for the long haul fight ahead. We didn’t let that night scare us or coy down to their muscle power. The Pakistanis miscalculated the fish eating dark small Bangaless. They also underestimated the charisma and love for Bangabandhu by the majority of Banglaees and their determination for emancipation. They arrested Bangabandhu and shuttled him off to a Dungeon in Pakistan but his lieutenants and the people were briefed by him to fight on even in his absence. 

After that fateful night Dacca became a haunted city and people started leaving their beloved city and homes. Most of the people of the then occupied East Pakistan were already disappointed and disgusted at the highhandedness of the Pakistani Military for postponing the National Assembly of the elected representative and the final assault ‘Operation Searchlight’ not only a betrayal but an exposure of the true face of Pakistani rulers’ colonial mentality. As soon as the news of Dacca siege spread the countryside rose in unison against the Pakistani Military.

During the Shahbag movement 2013 giving a paper replica flag of our liberation war to the little girl warming by the fire! A symbol of the spirit that we fought

with for our future generations emancipation!

Many young people like me started going to India and join the fight for our liberation war. I and my friend Arif were a fortunate few to join them experiencing the life of a refugee in another land, the pain of seeing such senseless killings and atrocities, facing a life of the unknown at the age of 18. The Mukti Bahini camps, refugee’s camps or shelters all had the look of horror, desperation and hunger but there was no denial of their determination to return to the homeland after defeating the occupying marauders.

The training camps and the unit I was to fight with was filled with youth, not surprisingly, mostly from the working class and farmhands. The officers and few of us were the fortunate ones in those days to have gone to high schools, colleges or universities. It may sound striking that in my count hardly 10% of the fighters I met represented the privileged class of Bangless of the then East Pakistan. It was not that they were forced to join but were passionate to fight for their country because they saw a dream that Bangabandhu imagined as a land of ‘our own’ the ‘Shonar Bangla’. We all shared the same dream of liberating our land from the Pakistanis so it evolves as a nation where every human being is unshackled and emancipation for all is a birth right. The camaraderie was incredible and still continue after so many years. Those days were filled with frustrations, joy, suspicion, fear and vigor. What kept us going was that we never questioned how long will this fight go on for? Nor did we question the fact that one day it will be liberated even if I do not see it. The pride of seeing the flags and singing Amar Shonar Bangla Ami Tomae Bhalobashi in a liberated piece of land during those days seemed like the biggest reward one could dream.

When the Indian Forces joined ranks, in the beginning of December 1971, and the two professional forces faced each other the Mukti Bahinis were as fierce, and tactical and brave to fight shoulder to shoulder with the Indian Army in all fronts.

We have earned our freedom and paid for it. The liberation of Bangladesh have been earned by the people and as we reach the 50 years of our Independence it’s a pride to see in the heaps of our minuses, as a nation, the pluses are not that few to neglect. When I see Bangladesh today and try to recollect my days in 1970 I feel grateful to the freedom fighters who dared in 1971, salute my Comrades you can be proud of the land you fought for. We have a generation now that can lead us to Shonar Bangla by the year 2071. We won’t be here but our grandchildren will be able to breathe and smile I am sure.

Joi71 JoiManush.

Akku Chowdhury a veteran freedom fighter, Director of Liberation War Meuseum and former CEO of Transcom Foods Ltd.