EDITORIAL The previous day, October 13, 2021, marks the 29th anniversary of Bharadwaj Muni's self-sacrifice, the first martyr of the dem...
EDITORIAL
The previous day, October 13, 2021, marks the 29th anniversary of Bharadwaj
Muni's self-sacrifice, the first martyr of the democratic movement in the
Chittagong Hill Tracts. "October 13" is a day written in blood in the
democratic struggle that started in the nineties!
On this day in 1992, Bharadwaj Muni Chakma was martyred in an
attack by the settlers with the help of the army near the Maini Bridge while he
was attending a student rally convened by the Pahari Chatra Parishad at
Dighinala Sadar. Almost half-hundred men and women were injured in the attack.
What happened that day
One day before the rally, on October 12, 1992, the Dighinala Thana
BNP staged a procession and called a strike on the PCP's rally on October 13.
In the meantime, another unsubstantial organization called 'Ekak Bangla
Tripura-Gana Parishad' created by the army also started opposing the
predetermined program of the Pahari Chatra porishod.
Since the morning of October 13, some local Bengali leaders have
been trying to close shops in Thana Bazar and told the Bengalis who had gone to
work in the fields to stop work and get ready with sticks. That day was the day
of Thana Bazar Hat.
They blocked the road with sharp weapons so that people were not
coming to the market. Also, they closed the ferry ghat. On the other hand, on
the way from Babuchara to Thana Bazar, the army tried to block the road at the
check post so that the ordinary people could not join the rally in fear. ADM
and ASP came to Dighinala with a special police force from Khagrachari district
headquarters at 8.30 am. They were dealing with unusual situations on purpose.
The sky was cloudy, and it had been raining slowly since morning.
When the ferry terminal was closed, about three thousand older women gathered
on the east bank of the river Maini.
In the meantime, thousands of Settlers with chopper, spear, stick,
bicycle chain, and other sharp weapons took up an aggressive position at the
Army check post called Bhanga Building.
In this situation, some leaders of Pahari Chatra Parishad went to
the police station and informed the ASP about the matter and sought his help.
The ASP immediately sent the OC and TNO to the broken building check post. TNO
went to the gathering of Bengalis and asked them to remain calm.
He further added that "the hill student council is not a
Shanti Bhahini (SB). They are assembling here democratically. There is no
possibility of harm to anyone. Let them assemble peacefully."
At first, the Bengalis agreed with TNO's statement. After a while,
there was more tension among the Bengalis. They started chanting provocative
slogans. Some rumors began to spread among the Bengalis. At that moment, a
procession of hill people who had come to join the rally crossed the Maini
Bridge and was immediately blocked by army personnel in charge of the army
check post.
On the other hand, the situation became tense when BNP leader
Zakir Ahmed, Chatra League leader Ilias, Tarun Biswas, and other Bengalis
started moving. At the time, standing next to the scene was watching the joke,
Lt.Colonel Farid. Just before the attack began, he signaled to Major Haider to
move elsewhere.
Soon after, a whistle blew from the army check post. Immediately
thousands of Bengalis jumped on the hill people's. At first, the hill people
tried to repel the attack. When the situation became critical, the TNO
instructed the police to control the situation by firing blank shots.
Meanwhile, as soon as the sound of gunfire was heard, the hill
people started running away. At this time, the Bengalis chased the jumma's and
started attacking extensively. 70-year-old Bharadwaj Muni Chakma killed on the
spot in the attack. More than half-hundred people were also injured.
Soon after the planned attack, army members arrived in a military
van in the role of rescuers. They became more and more anxious to take the dead
and wounded to their cantonment hospitals.
On the other hand, shortly after the incident, a group of people
marched towards the police station under the banner of the so-called 'Ekak
Bangla Tripura Gana Parishad' created by the army. And before that procession,
Major Haider was also seen cheerfully. He came a little farther and stopped the
procession. Then some photographers of the military took pictures of the march.
Later, at the end of the rally, they took them to the broken building army
check post, and each participant in the march was given Rs 50 each.
The body of Bharadwaj Munir was taken to Dighinala police station
in an olive-colored pick up from the hospital of Dighinala cantonment late at
night on October 13. The next day on October 14, after identifying the body,
the PCP leaders and activists carried the body of Bharadwaj Muni on their
shoulders in a procession. They completed the burial along the Maini river.
The situation in Dighinala changed after the incident.
After that incident, Dighinala was not like before. All the conspiracies of the vested interests, the brokers-reactionary traitors, and the settler chiefs were foiled. The rogue brokers retreated in the face of the tide. Dighinala comes out of a suffocating situation. The army assassinated Bharadwaj Muni and added the fire of the movement. The foundation of a strong movement was laid in Dighinala with the blood of martyrs.
PCP leaders and activists spread from village to village in Dighinala, holding public meetings against the misconduct of the army and miscreants. As a result, the army broker reactionaries were cornered.
Bharadwaj Muni's self-sacrifice in the democratic movement started in the nineties will continue to shine in the spirit of resistance!
On this day, we pay our profound respects to Shaheed Bharadwaj Muni! His self-sacrifice made it possible to defeat the army-brokers-traitors at Dighinala at that time.
Many patriots will emerge from the present youth to keep the illuminated sign of heroism in need of time, an example of courage set by the 70-year-old.
After that incident, Dighinala was not like before. All the
conspiracies of the vested interests.
No comments