December 16, 1971 It was only six year back when I was facing the ISSB Interview Board in Dacca Cantonment during Indo-Pakistan war of 65. The Naval Commodore asked me - If we dont select you, what will you do? - Sir, my country is now at war. If I cant join as an officer, Ill join as a Sepoy - I replied without hesitation. That day that was my belief. I had just passed out from Cadet College with very strong nationalist spirit. I was actively involved in the movement to oust autocratic military ruler Ayub Khan from power when I was in the Engineering University. He was forced to resign on March 25, 1969. Air Marshal Noor Khan came to Dacca to meet the student leaders to understand our mind. He called student leaders from Engineering University and Dacca University in a meeting in Provincial Assembly building. I attended the meeting along with the then DUCSU leaders Tofael and others. When directly asked if we were asking for an independent East Pakistan - we all strongly denied. We explained in detail our 11 points. But March 25th, 1971 changed every thing. After the Nanjing massacre of 1937 and the Nazi killings of Jews during Holocaust - the massacre of Bengalis in East Pakistan by the Paki army was possibly the most gruesome in recent history. In our own family two of our loving uncles were killed in 71. One of them were lined up by the army at the bank of the river along with other villagers and shot dead by Paki army. The other uncle was locked in his house from outside and local Bihari supporters of army put fire in the house and let him burn alive to death. My father was very much heartbroken at this loss. So, when we tried to tell him to move to a better shelter in case army came to the house - he refused. He left it to Allah to decide his fate. Finally we all also decided to stay where we were, but put the girls and young men of our family into the box room in the ceiling when we heard sounds of firing and shouting of people from a distance in the afternoon. We had no clue that people were shouting in joy at the signing of the surrender by Paki army to the Indian army and Bangladeshi Mukti Bahini.
Posted on: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 02:52:45 +0000
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