Rajshahi’s situation turns volatile since early March ’71

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RAJSHAHI, March 3, 2021 (BSS) – The overall situation of Rajshahi became
volatile with the spontaneous protest of general masses from the initial
stage of March in 1971 when the then Pakistani rulers had postponed the
scheduled March 3 session of the National Assembly.

Commemorating the situation of that time, Former Vice-chancellor of
Rajshahi University Prof Saidur Rahman Khan said thousands of people came out
on the streets spontaneously under the banner of Sarbadaliyo Chhatra Sangram
Parishad and Shramik Sangram Parishad.

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman rejected
cancellation of the scheduled parliament session from March 3 and called a
strike on March 2 in Dhaka and on March 3 throughout the country.

Prof Khan said the people demonstrated their protest and demanded immediate
handover of power to Awami League, the party which secured a great majority
in the 1970 general election.

He also said postponement of the scheduled parliament session by the
Pakistani ruler, as part of a heinous conspiracy, instantly triggered the
Rajshahi people to revolution since the beginning of March in 1971 with
spontaneous protest of the common people.

Public and private offices and business activities came to a total halt,
academic activities of the educational institutions were suspended while
production in mills and factories throughout the city remained stopped for an
indefinite period.

It was part of a spontaneous protest that turned the city into a place of
fierce movement and demonstrations.

Total general strike was observed in the city paralyzing the civic lives
and business activities.

To gear up the movement, cross-section of freedom- loving people brought
out a series of processions on eight-kilometer road from Rajshahi University
to Rajshahi court breaking curfew on March 3 in comply with the central
programmes.

Valiant Freedom Fighter Dr Abdul Mannan said the Independence-seeker
Bangalees paraded the city streets here chanting slogans ‘Jago Jago Bangalee
Jago’, ‘Beer Bangalee astro Dhoro, Bangladesh Swadheen koro’.

At around 11.30 am on the same day, the then occupation forces from the
adjacent Telephone Exchange Building opened fire targeting a procession in
Ranibazar area killing at least one person and injuring many others.

The brutal attack and killing of innocent people had fuelled fiery minds
of the protesting people and the movement got new momentum with more vigorous
protest in most parts of the district.

During the Liberation War, Rajshahi witnessed both atrocities by the
Pakistan army and heroic struggles by the freedom fighters.

The largest mass grave in Bangladesh is located in Rajshahi University,
which was used as Pakistani army camp during the Liberation War of 1971.

On the other hand, one of the biggest great battles of the Liberation War
took place near Rajshahi. Captain Mohiuddin Jahangir, who braced martyrdom in
the battle, was awarded the highest honour (Bir Shrestho) by the Bangladesh
government after the war.

Having contribution to the war of independence beginning from the mass
uprising in 1969 to protest the illegal and unlawful tyranny of the Pakistani
government, the students of the university became furious.

On February 18, 1969 the students of the university broke out a protest
procession where the police force took preparations to shoot at the
procession.

The then Proctor and professor of the Chemistry Department Dr Shamsuzzoha
laid down his life to save the students from the bullet shot by the then
Pakistani law-enforcing agency.

During the Liberation War, Rajshahi University teachers, officials and
students played an imperative role to free the country from the Pakistani
forces.

The Shabash Bangladesh Chhattar, martyr archives, mass grave yard, and
tombs of Dr Shamsuzzoha, Sukhronjon Samaddar, Mir Abdul Qaiyum and Shaheed
Habibur Rahman bear a mark of memory of independence struggle.