1971: Gopalganj Massacre

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During the Pakistan period, Gopalganj was a subdivision of Faridpur district. This subdivision had three thanas – Sadar, Kotalipara and Kashiani. Surrounded by the Baoor River, this Gopalganj was where the architect of the Bangladesh state, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was born. His home was Tungipara, a village in Patgati Union of Gopalganj Sadar Thana at that time.

Despite being a remote area, Gopalganj has always been a politically conscious area. Under the influence of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bengali nationalist politics became strong in this area. However, the Muslim League had also had influence here for a long time.

Immediately after the March 7 speech, the Sangram Parishad, formed under the leadership of the Awami League in collaboration with the NAP and the Communist Party, started training camps for the youth in three police stations of Gopalganj. In addition to the police station headquarters, training was also started in some notable unions and villages. Tungipara is no exception.

On March 26, the Sangram Parishad collected weapons from various police stations including Gopalganj Police Line, Treasury and Baultoli Police Outpost. Police and Ansar Bahini members joined them. A combined defense force was formed at Manikdah Ghat, the entrance to the city. Some EPR members who had fled from Dhaka also joined it. The commander of the Mukti Bahini in Gopalganj Sadar Upazila was Sheikh Lutfar Rahman alias Bachchu Chowdhury. The commander of the Mujib Bahini in Gopalganj Subdistrict was Ismat Qadir Gama. Hemayet Uddin Bir Bikram, the head of the Hemayet Bahini in Kotalipara Upazila, also played a significant role in conducting the war in Gopalganj Sadar.

Under the leadership of Captain Jalal Ahmed, who had deserted the Pakistani army and escaped from the cantonment, the freedom fighters built a defense line in the Manikdah and Poddar Char Katagang areas, a possible route from Khulna to Gopalganj. About 100 freedom fighters put up armed resistance there. On April 30, the Pakistani army, led by Major Ghori, infiltrated Gopalganj town and established a mini cantonment in the Sadar Upazila Parishad Complex (then the CO office).

The Pak army entered Gopalganj town on April 30 and carried out brutal violence. They set fire to Bangabandhu’s house in Bankpara, Abdul Latif’s residence in Chowrangi, the Awami League office, Swarnapatti Chowrangi Mor, Sahapara Bazar Road and Hirabari Road and other houses in the surrounding villages. With the help of local Razakars, they attacked Manikhar village. At that time, they killed Santosh Kumar Das, a philosophy lecturer at the then Quaid-e-Azam Memorial College (present Bangabandhu College). They attacked Manikhar, Baultali, Satpar and Gandhiashur villages and carried out looting, arson and murder. The Pak army entered the house of Nowsher Ali Chowdhury in Paikkandi village and shot and killed a total of 13 people, including him. Then they killed many people including Tahazzad Ali Master and Afsar Ali Chowdhury from the western and eastern neighborhoods of Paikkandi. These killings are known as the Paikkandi massacre. At the instigation of Razakar Rangu Sikder, the Pakistani soldiers set fire to the house of Badsha Molya in Manikhar. They lined up Badsha Molya and some of his close relatives and killed 8 people in a brush fire, which is known as the Manikhar massacre. Later, they shot Badsha Molya’s son from behind.

The mini cantonment of the Gopalganj Sadar Upazila Parishad Complex was the torture center and prison camp of the Pak army. The Pak army used to capture freedom-seeking people from different villages, imprison them here, torture and kill them. They used to capture women and brutally torture them. The banks of Padmapukur (present-day Joybangla Pond) were the killing ground of the Pak army. Here, freedom fighters and supporters of the liberation war were captured and killed from different places in Gopalganj.

After Bangabandhu declared independence on March 26, the brave youth of Tungipara strengthened their guard to protect the house and other houses of the Father of the Nation. They decided to risk their lives to resist the invading forces. Among them, Mintu Sheikh, son of Shahjahan Sheikh, Dhala Mia Sheikh, son of Nazir Sheikh, Arshad Sheikh, son of Ismail Sheikh, Torab Ali, son of Manik Kazi, and Iku (Satkhira), the housekeeper of Bangabandhu’s house, were notable. On May 19, more than 150 Pakistani soldiers armed with modern weapons and launched an attack on Tungipara village. After unspeakable torture, they shot and killed all the youths who were dedicated to the security of Bangabandhu’s house. They chased Bangabandhu’s elderly parents out of the house with death threats, then looted everything, sprinkled gunpowder and burned the entire house.

On the way back to Gopalganj by launch from Tungipara, the Pakistani army looted and set fire to the houses of Hindu villages like Lebutala, Dumuria etc. On the way, they also attacked villages like Uttar Pakurtia, Tarail, Ghaghar etc. At the end of May, the Pakistanis again looted and set fire to the house of Bangabandhu’s uncle Sheikh Mosharraf Hossain and other houses. They also looted and set fire to the villages like Lebutala, Joaria, Patharghata, Gopalpur, Bhairab Nagar, Tarail etc.
In addition to Gopalganj Sadar, the Pakistan Army committed genocide, torture and sexual violence against women in many villages of Kashiani and Kotalipara.

Kotalipara was liberated under the leadership of Hemayetuddin Bir Bikram on December 3. Gopalganj was liberated on December 7. But Kashiani was occupied by the Pakistanis until December 19. Despite repeated calls to surrender, they did not do so, and from Narail, freedom fighters led by Lt. Colonel Joan of the Indian Allied Forces, Major Manjur, Commander of Sector 8, Captain Huda and Kamal Siddiqui, Commanders of the Mukti Bahini of Narail Zone, and Ismat Qadir Gama and Captain Nur Mohammad Babul of the Mujib Bahini from Gopalganj and Faridpur launched a joint attack. After a fierce battle lasting three days on December 16, 17 and 18, Kashiani was liberated from the invaders on December 19 with the surrender of the Pakistani army.

Thus, Gopalganj, the birthplace of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, became independent. It is a pilgrimage site for Bengalis.

Source:
Encyclopedia of the Liberation War of Bangladesh, Volumes 2, 3, 4. Dr. Harun-ur-Rashid. Asiatic Society