Liberation War highest glory, 2024 its continuation

“None of my contemporaries are alive today. I lost some of them in the war, some passed away in the independent country.” Freedom fighter Colonel (retd) Bazlul Gani Patwary was voicing his thoughts at the National Mausoleum in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka.

Bazlul Gani fled from Pakistan to join the Liberation War. He was a young man at that time. Now he is 85. But he agreed with enthusiasm when he was asked to join the talks titled “Talks of 1971 with 2024”, organised by Prothom Alo. He did not make any excuse of being too old or unwell.

We reached the National Memorial in Savar from Dhaka around 12:00 pm on 11 December along with two organisers of the student-people uprising, Ariful Islam Adib and Nazifa Jannat.

Bazlul Gani could not remember when was the last time he went to the National Memorial in Savar. “Maybe it was around 30-35 years ago.”

He walked around the National Memorial premises, sat there for some time, and took photos. He spoke eloquently about the Liberation War, about how he fled from Pakistan, his joining the Liberation War, and the dreams and aspirations that encouraged him to fight, as the two organisers asked him questions one after another.

Bazlul Gani said most of the aspirations with which they took part in the Liberation War have not been fulfilled.

Bazlul Gani also asked questions to the student leaders on how the demonstrations seeking a reform in the quota system for government jobs morphed into the one-point movement, how they organised the movement, their thoughts on the state and so on.

The two organisers of the mass uprising said they had to take to the streets as the aspirations of the Liberation War were not fulfilled.

They further said their fight for a democratic Bangladesh and to establish equality and human dignity here will continue.

According to them the Liberation War is a matter of highest glory for the people of Bangladesh. 1971 and 2024 cannot be placed one against the other. The mass uprising of 2024 is a continuation of 1971.

Bazlul Gani joined the Liberation War in 1971 fleeing Pakistan along with Major General MA Manzur (then a major), Lieutenant Colonel MA Taher (the a major) and Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Ziauddin (then a major). Major Manzur’s wife, his baby boy and girl and Bangalee soldier Alamgir Khan also were with them.

After trying twice, they managed to enter India through the Sialkot border of Pakistan. From there they were sent to the war field.

Major General MA Manzur and Lieutenant Colonel MA Taher are two important personalities in the history of Bangladesh. MA Manzur was the commander of sector No. 8. He was awarded Bir Uttam for his contributions in the Liberation War.

Major General Manzur was the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Chittagong zone when the then President Ziaur Rahman was killed by some army members at the Chittagong Circuit House on 30 May 1981. Later, Manzur was killed in custody of the military at Chittogong cantonment on 1 June.

MA Taher was the commander of sector No. 11. He lost a leg during a frontline battle in the Liberation War. He was also conferred with the Bir Uttam gallantry award.

Following the eventful 7 November 1975, Taher was awarded the death sentence in a secret trial at the military court. The sentence was implemented on 21 July 1976.

Ziauddin was the commander of 1st East Bengal Regiment under the Z Force that was commanded by Ziaur Rahman during the Liberation War. He was given the Bir Uttam gallantry award for his contribution in the war. After the Liberation War, he wrote a newspaper article criticising an agreement the government signed with India. Following this, he was suspended from the army. Later, he joined the Purba Bangla Sarbahara Party but returned to normal life under a general clemency in 1989. Currently he is unwell and under treatment in hospital.

The then Captain Bazlul Gani was the commander of Delta (D) Company under the 1st East Bengal Regiment (Senior Tigers). He fought along the Sylhet border. He was conferred with the Bir Protik gallantry award after the Liberation War.

Ariful Islam Adib has graduated from the zoology department at Jahangirnagar University. He was a member of the liaison committee the Students Against Discrimination formed in the days of July-August uprising. He used to carry messages, press releases and programmes of the main coordinators of the Students Against Discrimination to the local and foreign media during the movement. The law enforcement at that time tried to pick him up too. Ariful is currently a joint convener of the Jatiya Nagorik Committee.

Nazifa Jannat has completed her graduation from the English department at East West University. She actively took part in the movement of Students Against Discrimination and was the coordinator of the East West University branch. Currently she is the treasurer of the central committee of Chhatra Union.

We reached the National Memorial around 12:00 pm on 11 December. The National Memorial wwas being cleaned and spruced up. They began the dialogue sitting in front of the National Memorial.

Bazlul Gani: I was present in your movement, mentally. I’m 85 years old now. I could not join your fight in person. The youth could bring about changes in a nation. Our youth have revived our feelings, we are grateful.

Nazifa: We have heard about the Liberation War in 1971. Read about it in books. You are a Bir Protik, a freedom fighter. We want to hear from you about the context of the Liberation War …

Bazlul Gani: No man wants to fight in a war on his own volition. It is always imposed on them. The rulers of West Pakistan imposed the war on Bangladesh. They created disparity, committed injustice; they were depriving us from our rights, both economically and politically.

Nazifa: You joined the Liberation War fleeing Pakistan …

Bajlul Gani: Yes. I was stationed at Baloch Regiment in Pakistan. I took part in the Liberation War fleeing from Pakistan in July.

Ariful: If you tell us about how you fled …

Bazlul Gani: You would get the whole story in my book ‘Shotrubhumi Theke Sommukhsomore’, published by Prothoma Prokashon. I was an adjutant of a unit of the army at that time. One day Major Taher came to me. We discussed how we could join the Liberation War. That could be done if we stay in West Pakistan. He said, “Let’s plan to flee.” Major Manzur and Major Ziauddin joined us. We failed in the first attempt but became successful in the second attempt.

Nazifa: How did you flee when your first attempt failed?

Bazlul Gani: The Indian border was far. We bought an old Volkswagen car. It cost us Rs 1,500. We had to repair that. One day we took the journey. We managed to cross the border braving rain and thunder at midnight. We were almost caught several times. After entering India, we contacted the BSF (Border Security Force) through the villagers. The BSF members rescued us. From there we were shifted to Lodi Hotel in Delhi. There we were quizzed. After seven days we were sent to Kolkata, from there we went to the war field. I was sent to the 1st East Bengal Regiment, in Teldhala village of Meghalaya in India.

Ariful: You fought and the country achieved independence. But how many of your dreams and aspirations have been fulfilled - economic freedom, human dignity?

Bazlul Gani: I doubt if the real freedom has been achieved. The same discrimination we had fought against is still being discussed now. Those who are meritorious were being left out. And, our young generation built a movement against it. Hopefully, the country will now remain free of this sort of discrimination.

Nazifa: We have seen West Pakistan’s discrimination against the people of East Pakistan, we have seen their repression. You fought against that in 1971. We too had to fight discrimination and repression in 2024. In fact, the name of our platform was also Students against Discrimination Movement. We had to fight against discrimination even after 53 years.

Bazlul Gani: You had started the movement demanding reform of quota system in government jobs. Later it turned into a movement upholding the one-point demand of government’s fall. Where did you get the advice from?

Ariful: Actually, it’s not about getting the advice. Our movement was a peaceful one. They started a carnage in the peaceful movement. Bullets were fired indiscriminately killing common people, men, women, and children. Even people sitting in their homes became victim of this killing. These deaths and the bloodshed forced us to reach the one-point demand.

Bazlul Gani: Just now you said that common people, men, women and children have been killed. That means, the whole nation stood by your demands.

Ariful: Definitely. The killing started on 16 July (2024). As many as six people had been killed that day. Abu Sayeed had been killed in Rangpur. Later, many more people have been shot dead. The government forces had turned against the public with full strength and the government had pushed the public towards a war state. As a result, the situation had taken such a turn that it wasn’t possible for people to be free with her (Sheikh Hasina) in power. That’s why our nine-point demands had turned into a single-point demand.

Bazlul Gani: Was that to intensify the movement even more?

Ariful: We didn’t raise the one-point demand at first though. Common people, citizen society and people from different walks of life had raised the one-point demand in different programmes during 1, 2 and 3 August. Hundreds of thousand people joining the rally at the Central Shaheed Minar had pointed at the one-point demand raising their fingers. Then those in the forefront of the movement presented the one-point demand. The situation was such that if someone did not announce the one-point, the public would have rejected them and moved towards the one-point. The public would have taken their responsibilities themselves.

Bazlul Gani: What do you think, have your demands been fulfilled?

Nazifa: We wrote on the walls, ‘Shoiracharer Dosh Din, Jonogoner Ek Din (every day for the autocrat, one day for the public)’. We have thrown out 15 years of autocracy, within just 36 days of our movement. With this, the road has been opened to fulfill the nine-point demands we had. Actually, we had to fight for the way our country was not led it was supposed to be in the last 53 years after the Liberation War. The opportunity has come to make up for the past failures this time. In the Liberation War of 1971, our predecessors fought for an independent Bangladesh free of discrimination. This time, we fought for a better Bangladesh, a democratic Bangladesh free from autocracy. However, our desire of a democratic Bangladesh has not been fulfilled yet. We are accountable to the people killed and injured during the mass uprising. We want to take the country forward keeping them in mind.

Ariful: We are on the first phase of the transformation, which caused the movement. Dignity of the people and social justice has not been ensured not only in the last 15 years but neither in the 53 years of independence. It is the duty of the state to ensure rights for all the citizens regardless of their religion and class in sectors like education, health etc. We’ll want that there will be no discrimination in the future Bangladesh when it comes to providing state services to anyone whether it’s a rickshaw puller, a garment worker, a university teacher or a secretary. Identity should not be a barrier in any context concerning the state, be it religious identity, ethnic identity, or professional identity.

Bazlul Gani: That means you are talking of equal rights for all. How long will it take to achieve that?

Ariful: It’s a long-term fight for the state to become civilised and to take responsibilities of the citizens. We have to keep working continuously for that. The first task is to neutralise the state agencies and to hold an election by quickly carrying out the reforms.

Nazifa: Many Bangladeshis do not want to stay in the country. They want to move abroad. I wish that Bangladesh will become such a country that people would say they want to go and live in Bangladesh.

Bazlul Gani: Let me add here, once students from different countries like Singapore and Malaysia used to come to study at Bangladesh Agricultural University situated in Mymensingh. Foreign students used to come to study at the University of Dhaka as well. There was a separate residential hall for them. We have to create the same environment again. Anyway, my last question to you is that in which perspective do you see the Liberation War of 1971?

Ariful: The Liberation War is the epitome of pride among the long struggles of the people in this region. We have achieved an independent country through this. However the objectives, economic freedom, equality, human dignity, and social justice with which the Liberation War had been fought, have not been fulfilled by the rulers even in 53 years. That’s why the mass-uprising of 2024. More than 2,000 people have been killed in this while more than 20,000 people have been injured. After all, our mass-uprising aims to achieve the three main themes of the Liberation war- equity, human dignity and social justice. 1971 and 2024 are not conflicting with each other. We had to lead the mass uprising of 2024 only because the aspirations of the 1971 have not been achieved completely.  

Nazifa: I hope that people of all religion and class in Bangladesh would live with equal dignity. Different types of philosophies such as Sufism and philosophy of Lalon are practiced on the soil of Bangladesh. I want to see an amalgamation of philosophy and culture.  There will be patronisation from the state behind that. The larger portion of the population in Bangladesh is young now, which is called demographic dividend. This should be source of strength for the country. But we just send unskilled workers abroad as labourers. Our export sector is dependent on garments industries alone. Actually, we have to build the economic foundation on the soil of Bangladesh after all. Depending on any external power won’t work. I want the politicians to look at the public with dignity and consider politics from the point of view of responsibility. They don’t do that and that’s why we had to go through a series of failures. I would urge the young generation, those of us who had joined the mass uprising, to look at politics from a point of responsibility and to treat people with dignity.

Bazlul Gani: Everything is possible if the human rights, freedom of speech, and right to protest are ensured. What do you say?

Nazifa: People don’t want to be repressed. People want to be free. When there was repression and discrimination from the West Pakistan, people stood up against that. This time too, the people of Bangladesh didn’t compromise to discrimination and injustice. We have the highest regards for those who took part in the Liberation War and those who gave their lives. You (Bazlul Gani) are a valiant freedom fighter. Without you we wouldn’t be sitting here today and there would be no link between us. Actually, 2024 is the continuation of 1971. We want to move forward carrying the both of them.   

At the end of the one and a half hours of the long conversation, the freedom fighter of 1971 and the two coordinators of the mass uprising of 2024 moved closer to the national mausoleum. They walked barefoot. At one point the three of them gave a salute to those who sacrificed their lives for the country in 1971. In the end, they took a photo standing in front of a memorial plaque at the national mausoleum. The plaque read, “Ek Shagor Rokter Binimoye/Banglar Shadhinota Anle Jara/ Amra Tomader Bhulbo Na.”