History of Bangladesh Liberation War। বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধের ইতিহাস

 History of Bangladesh Liberation War। বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধের ইতিহাস

On the night of March 25, 1971, Ziaur Rahman was a Major in the Pakistan Army. He was being sent to a Pakistani general unloading arms at Chittagong port that night. The plan was to ‘arrest or kill’ him (Golam Murshid, the Liberation War and then: a non-partisan history). On the way, he decided to revolt as soon as he heard the news of the massacre by the Pakistani forces. Returning to the Chittagong cantonment, he captured his commanding officer and other Pakistani officers and soldiers. The next day, he stopped people fleeing in fear and started giving provocative speeches to go to war against the Pakistanis (Belal Mohammad, Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra). Within hours, he announced the independence of Bangladesh in his own voice on the radio. Zia's transformation may have been a surprise, but it was not accidental. On the contrary, the deprivation of the people of Bangladesh, the dream of independence, and above all, how Bangabandhu's speech on March 7 inspired even a soldier, was a shining example of that (Ziaur Rahman, ‘Birth of a Nation’). He was one of the 11 sector commanders in the liberation war of Bangladesh. In 1972, the Bangabandhu government conferred the title of the highest hero on 49 returning freedom fighters. He was one of them. But he was also unique among the sector commanders and heroic titles as a herald of independence. On March 26, he made the

announcement on behalf of the "great leader Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman" from the Kalurghat radio station. Towards the end of the war, the Pakistani army surrendered to his forces in the Sylhet region. He was not a brave warrior like Sector Commander Abu Taher, MA Jalil or Khaled Musharraf. Unlike the officers of his own forces like Mobin Chowdhury and Hafiz Uddin of Samash, he was not injured in the battle. But his various decisions and actions in the permanent war from March 26 to December 16 have played a powerful influence, in some cases elevating him to unique heights.

Ziaur Rahman's most talked about and important contribution was the declaration of independence. Before him Maulana Bhasani declared independence, student leaders chanted slogans of independent Bangladesh and hoisted the flag of Bangladesh. In his historic speech on March 7, 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the architect of Bangladesh's independence, called for freedom struggle and instructed everyone to be ready for it. Even before the night of March 25, before Zia, Chittagong Awami League leader MA Hannan had declared independence on radio. But even then, for various reasons, the significance of Ziaur Rahman's announcement was different.

First, Zia's declaration of independence was heard only by many people from all parts of the country, as it was repeatedly broadcast on powerful broadcasters. Disoriented and fleeing in the face of the barbaric attack of the Pakistani forces, it became a message of absolute confidence to the people. Second, Zia's announcement was made by a rebellious Bengali officer in the Pakistani army and on behalf of Bangabandhu. It also made people very optimistic about the possibility of resistance.

AK Khandaker, deputy chief of the Mukti Bahini, said in a memoir in 2002, "It is completely different to hear of a Bengali major in the army during the war. I know for myself, I know during the war, I know in the aftermath of the war that reading this declaration of Major Zia has had a deadly positive effect on all the freedom fighters inside the country and on the border, and among the common people. People began to believe that yes, this time Bangladesh went to war. ' Zia's announcement was inspired by Tajuddin Ahmed and Barrister Amir-ul Islam (Memoirs of the War of Liberation), HT Imam (Government of Bangladesh 1971), and many other important people like Professor Anisuzzaman (My 1971). The significance of his announcement is mentioned in the comments of many international personalities like Trevor Fislock, David Luden (Mahfuz Ullah, President Zia of Bangladesh) including JN Dixit, an active Indian diplomat during the liberation war.

However, it should be kept in mind that Zia's announcement had an incomparable effect as it was given by Bangabandhu. Maidul Hasan, a researcher on the Liberation War, wrote, "Although Major Zia declared himself the head of state in his first radio address (evening of March 26), the next day, on the advice of local leaders, he revealed that he had entered the Liberation War on the instructions of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib." All these announcements spread like lightning in the mouths of the people, under the direction of Sheikh Mujib, the Bengalis of the armed forces started fighting for independence. '(Main Article '71)

The Bengali officers of the Pakistani forces had no clear or direct instructions to start the war in 1971. But they were aware of the situation created by Bangabandhu's reluctance to hand over power to the victorious leader in the 1970 elections. There was also outrage at the discrimination and deprivation of them in the Pakistani army (Rafiqul Islam, in exchange for millions of lives). For this reason, many of them revolted when they heard the news of the barbaric genocide of the Pakistani forces on March 25. Among the officers of the Bengali army, Zia revolted first (Murshid, supra). Almost all the sector commanders revolted by March 26. But everyone, including Zia, was aware of the need to coordinate, organize and carry out their scattered rebellion and turn it into a full-fledged war of independence. Their extraordinary wisdom, sense of responsibility and tactics were revealed in various incidents during the war. And here too we see Zia playing a unique or significant role at various important stages.

First, on April 3, just the day after Mujibnagar Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmed met Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, commanders of the rebel units of the East Bengal Regiment, including Ziaur Rahman, Khaled Musharraf and KM Safi Ullah, met at Teliapara Tea Garden. There they agreed on India's military assistance and the need to form an independent government with the country's politicians, formed a coalition of rebel units and appointed MAG Osmani as the head of the Liberation Army. This meeting on 4 April was the first organizational basis of the Bangladesh Mukti Bahini.

Second, Zia brought new ideas to a conference of warlords in a depressing situation from May to early July 1971 due to lack of military equipment, inaction of the central command and India's delay in granting diplomatic recognition. It was held from 10 to 18 July at the Mukti Bahini headquarters under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmed. At the outset, Zia proposed the formation of a war council to prevent the decline of the war of liberation and to conduct the war under a joint command system. His proposal was approved by all the sector commanders except one. With the support of the cabinet, Tajuddin could have accepted it as reasonable. The war could have been more dynamic (AK Khandaker, Maidul Hasan and SR Mirza, pre-liberation war: conversation). However, at that conference, he was given the responsibility of implementing the decision to form a brigade in preparation for the formation of a future army, a guerrilla warfare as well as a confrontation.

Z Force Commander Ziaur Rahman (2nd from left) with Major General KV Krishna Rao at Sylhet Railway Station, 16 December 1971. Photo: Collected Sylhet Railway Station with Major General KV Krishna Rao with Z Force Commander Ziaur Rahman (2nd from left), 16 December 1971. Photo: Collected Thirdly, the proposal to form a brigade led by Zia was unanimously accepted at this July conference, but later two more forces were formed by a single decision of Colonel Osmani (AK Khandaker, supra). The Zia Brigade, known as the Z Force, began its work in 1971. From 31 July to 10 August, they carried out several attacks on the Kamalpur base of the Pakistani forces, which was very important for the Dhaka-bound operation. On 1 August the Z Force attacked Bahadurabad and on 3 August the Nakshi BOP at Sherpur. Many Pakistani soldiers were killed in these adventurous encounters. Many freedom fighters were also martyred in the battle of Kamalpur. Zia also has to accept some criticism for this. But these wars gave birth to new perceptions about the capability and bravery of the freedom fighters.

Fourth, in the latter part of the war of liberation we see Zia as the commander of the offensive war against the Pakistani forces in certain areas. After the formation of the Joint Military Leadership in October 1971, the responsibility of formulating the policy of the war passed to the senior military officers of India. In November, Indian forces clashed on their country's border. At this time the sectors and forces of Bangladesh jumped into more face-to-face attacks.

Under Osmani's direction, Major Zia moved to Sylhet in October with the entire Z Force. Its three battalions, stationed at Srimangal, Chhatak and Kulaura, launched direct attacks on various installations and camps of the Pakistan Army. On 10 December this force launched an attack on Sylhet. On the 14th they entered Sylhet. In Sylhet, where he had declared rebellion against the slaughter of the invading Pakistani forces, 125 officers and a section of the army surrendered to him.

Ziaur Rahman's contribution to the war of independence of Bangladesh was immense. Apart from declaring independence, he played an important role in the conduct of the war and in the policy-making of the war administration during the war of liberation. Zia was like a great hero in this war. Also present were Khaled Musharraf, Abu Taher, Abu Osman, MA Jalil, Rafiqul Islam and other sector commanders. The war of liberation was above all a people's war, a great story of extraordinary self-sacrifice and heroism of many ordinary people. These heroic children of Bangladesh were like a shining constellation. Bangabandhu was the brightest star in that constellation. But so the light of any other star cannot be dimmed, nor can any other star be erased.

Zia is such an immortal star of our war of independence. In the aftermath of independence, not only Zia, but also many other activities have been discussed for and against. But that does not diminish their role in the war.