Aftab Uddin Siddiqui Ragib

March 25, 1971 -- that dreadful night. That dark night. The dark chapter of history, the night when a brutal massacre was carried out with an ill intent to annihilate innocent, unarmed, and sleeping people, the night when the Pakistani occupation forces’ guns, mortars, and tanks became the instruments of mass killings of hundreds of innocent students, police, EPR members, and civilians in places like Pilkhana, Rajarbagh, and Dhaka University. Under the name of ‘Operation Searchlight,’ this night witnessed the creation of a rare and brutal history of murder, rape, looting, and arson. This was the night that marked the beginning of the worst genocide in the history of the world.

The impact of that night reached the port city of Chattogram as well. The fire of Dhaka spread to Chattogram that night. However, the movement for independence began in Chattogram a day earlier. On March 24, 1971, the unloading of weapons and ammunition from the Pakistani ship ‘Swat’ marked the unofficial start of the war of independence in Chattogram. The unloading operation began at night. Upon hearing the news, labour leader Abul Bashar and Nabi Mistri led an angry crowd armed with iron rods, machetes, and spears to the ship. Eventually, they almost trapped the ‘Swat’ ship. In an attempt to escape the aggressive crowd, Pakistani soldiers aboard the ship opened fire indiscriminately. 23 lives were lost in that gunfire. The shockwave of those bullets scattered the agitated crowd. Later, the sound of those weapons reverberated across Dhaka, Chattogram, and the entire country.  

The next day, March 25, the Pakistani ships ‘Babar’ and ‘Jahangir,’ along with helicopters and fighter planes, shelled various key locations and areas populated by freedom-loving citizens of Chattogram throughout the day. Later in the afternoon, a parade of 5,000 armed ‘volunteer soldiers’ from the Awami League and NAP was held at Laldighi Field. At around 10pm., an urgent message from Sheikh Mujibur Rahman arrived at the residence of ‘District War Committee’ leader M.R. Siddique. The message called for organising a vigorous movement against the Pakistani forces. Another wireless message arrived in the middle of the night, at the home of leader Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury, informing him that the Bangabandhu had declared independence just before his arrest. This declaration was announced through loudspeakers in various areas, informing the people of Chattogram: "Sheikh Mujib has declared independence in Dhaka. Join the freedom fight. The Pakistani forces have killed Bengali police, EPR members, and students in Dhaka. The war has started. Stand up, Bengali people!"

Hearing the announcement, people rushed out of their homes in groups and flooded the streets, chanting slogans like "Joy Bangla" and "Bengali, take up arms, make Bangladesh free!" The next day, on March 26, copies of the declaration of independence were distributed in the form of leaflets on the streets. At that time, all the Pakistani soldiers stationed in the Chattogram cantonment were surrounded.

On the night of 25 March, realising that conflict was inevitable, Captain (later Major and the Commander of Sector No. 1) Rafiqul Islam took the initiative to start a resistance movement in Chattogram. However, the decision had already been made before this. In March 1971, Captain Rafiq was serving as the Adjutant of East Pakistan Rifles (EPR) in Chattogram. After observing the deployment of troops from West Pakistan to East Pakistan and the political situation, he decided to revolt for the cause of independence and began his preparations. He held discussions with Bengali officers and soldiers under his command and secretly encouraged Bengali officers in the army to join the rebellion if necessary.

On the night of March 24, 1971, Captain Rafiqul Islam effectively started the rebellion. Upon receiving his order, ‘Bengali soldiers started to disarm and immobilise the non-Bengali soldiers in the border posts’ and prepared to join the resistance in Chattogram. However, at the request of M.R. Siddique and Major Ziaur Rahman, he canceled their order to move to Chattogram that day. But the following day, March 25, 1971, when armed conflict became inevitable, Captain Rafiq began the active rebellion. Between 8:40pm and 11:30pm that night, he and his group captured almost all the non-Bengali soldiers, officers, and about 400 non-Bengali soldiers from the Halishahar EPR camp alive. They took control of the entire Chattogram city (except the cantonment and naval base). After distributing the seized weapons from the enemy forces among Bengali soldiers, he initiated the first phase of the armed liberation struggle in Chattogram. This rebellion led by Captain Rafiq marked the formal beginning of the 1971 Liberation War.

Meanwhile, after receiving the news of Bangabandhu's declaration of independence through wireless communication, Awami League leaders held a quick meeting late on the night of March 25 and divided Chattogram into four sectors, assigning responsibilities to various leaders. Among them, Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury, M.A. Mannan, and Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury took charge of the city area; Ataur Rahman Kaiser and Dr. Abu Zafar were given the responsibility of Kalurghat; Wahab and Dr. A.R. Mallik took charge of Chattogram University and the surrounding areas; and Engineer Mosharraf Hossain and his team were tasked with the Shubhopur sector.
The flames of war spread throughout Chattogram, slowly progressing towards victory. The struggle ended on 17 December (though fighting continued in Chattogram on 16 December as well). On 17 December, the defeated Pakistani forces in the Chattogram cantonment and port areas surrendered at the naval headquarters, bringing the long-awaited freedom to Chattogram and the long-cherished, lifelong dream of independence to fruition.  
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The writer is a lawyer at the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. He can be reached at: [email protected]