Shameem Reza Dafarul, Gobindaganj (Gaibandha)

Today is December 12. Gobindaganj Invader Freedom Day. On this day in 1971, Gobindaganj Thana, the gateway to Rangpur Division, was liberated after ending the tumultuous chapter of the long nine-month liberation war. The town was freed from the torture and betrayal of the unscrupulous exploiters of Pakistani robbers.

The red and green flag of victory emblazoned with the map of Bangladesh began to flutter. On this day, people of all classes, professions and ages were excited with the joy of liberation.

The news of the massacre of Pakistanis in Dhaka on the night of March 25 and Bangabandhu's declaration of independence in the early hours of March 26 reached Gobindaganj through wireless. In order to resist the Pakistani invading forces, various political parties, student organizations and struggle committees took the decision to stop the advance of the Pakistani forces by destroying the Katakhali bridge on the Bogra-Rangpur highway near Gobindaganj, along with the freedom-crazed Apamar people. On March 26, the whole night went on.

On the morning of March 27, hundreds of freedom-crazed youths and students reached Katakhali by truck and some on foot with shovels, shovels, hammers, knives, etc. To build resistance there, to destroy the bridge, the work of breaking the Katakhali road bridge started with whatever they have. Some parts of the northern side of the bridge were also broken due to everyone's efforts.

At this time suddenly a convoy of Pak forces rushed to the bridge from the direction of Rangpur. On reaching here, the snipers started firing on the freedom-crazed Bengalis. At this time, many people ran away. Rajshahi University students Abdul Mannan Akand, Bablu Mohant, Babu Dutt, an unidentified teenager and an old man were martyred there due to bullet injuries.

Later, throughout the liberation war, the Pakistani invaders and their local allies brutally tortured and killed many freedom fighters and supporters of the liberation war and the minority community by setting up a concentration camp in the airport near the Katakhali bridge. Burned hundreds of houses in different areas including on both sides of Gobindaganj-Mahimaganj road.

Every day, women of different ages from different areas were taken here, tortured and killed and buried on the river bank. In the same way, the Rangpur sugarcane guesthouse in Mahimaganj and the camp set up in Mahimaganj Alia Madrasa were also tortured and killed in the same manner throughout the liberation war period.

On the 3rd of August, the three children of Mahimaganj, Abdul Quader Sarkar, Abdus Sobhan Akand and Emad Uddin Akand, were taken to the Rangpur Sugarcane Guest House Camp in Mahimaganj and were shot dead by digging their own graves at a place called Malancha on the Gobindganj-Mahimaganj road at night. After looting the business establishments, houses and wealth of the Hindu community of Gobindaganj and Mahimaganj port area, these native brokers-kings took possession of them. Killed many people known and unknown supporters of the liberation war.

After nine months of bloody war, around 200 Pak soldiers were killed in the three-pronged attack of the freedom fighters from Hili, Gaibandha and Bonarpara and Mahimaganj on December 11. At this time, disoriented by the attack of the freedom fighters, others changed their clothes and fled in fear of their lives. The next day, on December 12, freedom fighters and students gathered in the high school grounds shaking the air with the slogan "Victory Bangla". Gobindaganj was liberated.