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Liberation war and freedom fighters

 

Patuakhali was a free land until 25 April, just one month before the liberation war. It was attacked by the enemy party on 26 April and became free from Pakistani enemy on 8 December, 1971, after imprisoned for about 8 long month.

26 April '71, Monday at 10:30 am. The fighter planes of the Pak aggressors flew in the sky of Patuakhali. The airstrikes began. Gone are the shelling and reckless shelling. The Pakistani paramilitary forces landed in Kalikapur area in a military helicopter after bombing for several hours. In a furious rage, the assailants jumped on the unarmed crowd. The horrible sound of mortar shells, the screams of the victims, the looting, the arson, all create a hellish situation. The entire old commercial market area of ​​the city was burnt down by the fire. The corpses of the freedom-loving people are scattered everywhere. The Pak army shot the then deputy commissioner Md. Abdul Awal. The allegation against him was that he helped the freedom fighters by handing over rifles to the freedom fighters. 16 people were martyred in Kalikapur Madbar Bari during the landing of the paramilitary forces. While trying to resist, 7 people including 7 Ansars were martyred in front of the Deputy Commissioner's residence. Besides, many people were killed in different places of the district and inside the jails. Most of them were buried in mass graves without janaza. The mass graves of the Ansars and inside the old jail near Madbar Bari, the Deputy Commissioner's residence, still bear the ruthless witness of genocide in the war of liberation.

 

It was the turn of the freedom fighters to build resistance in different areas of the district during the long 6 months of 1971. The guerrilla warfare activities of the internally organized freedom fighters increased. The Pak invaders first faced resistance in Patuakhali on 16 May at Madarbunia village in Sadar upazila near the party led by Shahjahan Farooq. Then the unit heads under the sub-sector started entering the district with a team. Unit chief Habildar Pancham Ali made a heroic contribution in the battle of Kalisuri in Baufal. The biggest frontal battle in Patuakhali district took place on 17 November at Panchatti in Galachipa. The battle of Panpatti under the leadership of Nurul Huda and Habibur Rahman Shawkat marked the first victory against the invaders at Patuakhali.

 

Later the freedom fighters occupied all the police stations under this sub-sector including Kalapara, Galachipa, Baufal, Amtali, Mirzaganj. Faced with stiff resistance, Pakjanta Major Yamin, who was in charge of Patuakhali, withdrew his army members from all police stations at the end of November and brought them to Patuakhali district headquarters. Meanwhile, the freedom fighters began to organize for the attack on Patuakhali. Rumors spread everywhere that on the night of December 10, various units were being organized to conduct an all-out operation in the occupation of Patuakhali. The Pak invaders became frightened by this. On the night of 6 December, a curfew was imposed in Patuakhali town and the Pak army and some of their loyal allies fled in a two-storey launch.

 

December 7, 1971, 10:30 a.m. The Allies launched an air strike on Patuakhali and sank a cargo shell laden with Pakistani flag at the Laukathi food warehouse. The Razakars and Al-Badrs, allies of the Pak aggressors, dropped their weapons and started fleeing. The freedom fighters entered Patuakhali without any restriction. The freedom fighters took control of Patuakhali by hoisting the flag of independent Bengal.

 

Patuakhali District Struggle Council

The whole country was in turmoil. The whole Bengali nation is following the finger of Bangabandhu. In his historic speech on March 7, Bangabandhu thunderously declared 'this time the struggle is for liberation, this time the struggle is for freedom'. The directive came to form Sangram Parishad Committee from district to grassroots level. The pro-independence political parties led by the district Awami League sat in the meeting. An 8-member district struggle council was formed. They are: President- Advocate Kazi Abul Qasim (District Awami League President), General Secretary- Ashraf Ali Khan (District Awami League General Secretary), Hafizur Rahman Forkan Mia (Awami League Leader), Advocate Md. Abdul Bari (Awami League Leader), Abdul Karim Mia (Central Leader of Bahasani NAP), Syed Ashraf Hossain (President of District NAP) and Comrade Moksedur Rahman (Leader of Communist Party). Later Thana Sangram Parishad was formed in each thana.

 

Organizational structure of Patuakhali sub - sector during the war of liberation

The then Patuakhali district was a sub-sector under Sector 9 during the War of Liberation. This Patuakhali sub-sector consists of 10 police stations of Patuakhali-Barguna. Bukabunia of Bamna police station was the headquarters of this sub-sector. Captain Mehedi Ali Imam was the Commander of the Mukti Bahini of this sub-sector.

 

Patuakhali sub-sector was divided into different units through organizational structure in the interest of conducting the war of liberation. Format-based units and unit heads were (1) Patuakhali-Galachipa: Nurul Huda and Habibur Rahman Shawkat, (2) Amtali: Naib Subedar Hatem Ali, (3) Khepupara: Moazzem Hossain, (4) Barguna, Betagi, Patharghata The operations zone of the headquarters was under Captain Mehedi Ali Imam. He was accompanied by unit heads Zahir Shah Alamgir and Zulfu Mia. (5) Mirzaganj: Altaf Haider, (6) Baufal: Habildar Pancham Ali and Habildar Abdul Barek (First Pancham Ali was sent from Barisal as the unit chief of Captain Shahjahan Omar Baufal). (6) Abdul Aziz Mallick was later appointed additional unit chief in Mirzaganj and Bamna areas. ( 6 ) One of the Mujib forces led by Sardar JahangirT team came to Galachipa area and set up camp. (9) Later, under the BLF command, a group of freedom fighters led by Khan Mosharraf Hossain, AH Barek Dhali, Sardar Abdur Rashid and Gazi Anwar came to Patuakhali.

 

Internally organized freedom fighters in Patuakhali district

Before the commencement of the activities of Patuakhali sub-sector under the organizational structure during the war of liberation, several freedom fighter groups were organized internally in this area under the leadership of Sangram Parishad. On 26 April 1971, the day the Patuakhali Pak invaders were captured, the freedom fighters who were training under the supervision of the District Sangram Parishad became isolated. Later they organized and formed a few freedom fighters. They formed resistance against the Pak aggressors in different places. The freedom fighters were led by Shahjahan Farooqi, Gazi Delwar Hassan, Kazi Abdul Matleb, Captain Jalil and Abdur Rob Mia.