'Bhola Free Day' to be observed tomorrow

The people of the island district will observe the 'Bhola Free Day' tomorrow (10 December) in a befitting manner. 

On this day in 1971, the freedom fighters and locals launched coordinated attacks on the Pakistani occupation forces and freed the district from their clutches.

Bhola became independent on December 10, although the entire country earned victory on December 16 in 1971, over the Pakistani forces. 

According to locals, the Pakistani occupation forces were compelled to flee Bhola by a cargo vessel on December 10 as they were bewildered following unprecedented attacks by the freedom fighters. With their departure, Bhola became free.

When the Pakistani forces left the area, the freedom fighters raised the national flag on the roof of the then District Accounts Office and declared Bhola free. The people from all walks of life took to the streets with the red-green flag of independent Bangladesh. 

The freedom fighters scattered across the region then entered the district town and set up camps at important places, including the Wapda office, power house and later Bhola Government High School. Victory marches began throughout the town.

During the War of Liberation, preparations for battle were underway in Bhola as elsewhere across the country. Training took place at Bhola Government School field, Bangla School, Town School field and parts of the Bhola College field. 

Later, the freedom fighters engaged in direct battles with Pakistani forces at Ghuyinggharhat, Daulatkhan, Bangla Bazar, Deula at Borhanuddin upazila and Charfesson Bazar.

Many Pakistani soldiers were driven away in these battles, and over a hundred freedom fighters embraced martyrdom. Freedom fighters captured by the Pakistanis in Bhola's ferry ghat area were killed, and their bodies were thrown into the Tentulia River. At that time, the salty waters of the Meghna-Tentulia Rivers were turned red with the blood of freedom fighters and civilians.

Many women were also captured and confined in the Pakistani camps, subjected to torture throughout the night and then brutally killed the next morning. Countless people, including freedom fighters, were also killed and buried in mass graves.

After the Pakistani forces fled, 30 Birangona women were rescued from the Wapda compound in Bhola. After treatment, they were returned to their families.

It is known that during the war, the Pakistani forces occupied the area around the Water Development Board office in Bhola town and set up a camp. From there, they carried out atrocious crimes, capturing and killing freedom fighters and innocent people. Behind the Wapda building, they buried victims in mass graves—this site is now recognised as a killing field. Apart from the WDB killing field and the Banglabazar battle site, other killing fields and battle spots in Bhola remain unpreserved.

Freedom fighters and locals urged the authorities to preserve all these historic sites of the Liberation War.

On December 10, 1971, Bhola became free from the enemy. Thousands of freedom-loving people thronged to streets with joy. Around 10:00 am on that historic day, the brave sons of Bhola climbed onto the roof of the SDO office of the then Bhola sub-division, today's District Accounts Office and burned the Pakistani flag and raised the red-green national flag of independent Bangladesh.

When the freedom fighters had taken control of most parts of Bhola and were preparing to take over the town, the Pakistani forces began firing randomly at dawn on December  10. Under the leadership of freedom fighters, Kazi Jainal and Firoz chased the Pakistani forces. At around 5:00 am, the occupation forces boarded a cargo launch kept beside the old morgue in Bhola and fled. To stop them, local people had even created barricades by felling trees into the canals. That cargo launch carrying the fleeing Pakistanis reportedly sank in the Meghna at Chandpur after being bombed by the allied forces, killing most of the soldiers onboard.

Renowned freedom fighter Mahbub Alam Nirab said that on May 6, 1971, around noon, Pakistani forces arrived at the Bhola ferry ghat by launch from Barishal. The then chairman of Bhola Municipality and a group of residents welcomed the Pakistani forces and escorted them into the town. 

The present member secretary of Bhola Zila Muktijodhha Sangsad, Md Mahfuzur Rahman, said that the occupation Pakistani forces and their collaborators had tortured the Bangalee people inhumanely for almost all the time during the eight months of the liberation struggle in Bhola. 

The Bhola district administration has chalked out elaborate programmes to observe the day. The programmes include bringing out a victory procession and holding discussions and meetings.