RAJSHAHI UNIVERSITY. Dec II: Although It sounds impossible that one can come back from a grave, it happened so in case of Rupchand Mondol He was able to come back from a mass grave of 1971 amidst hundreds of victims who were killed In a brush fire. Rupchand is still alive at the age of 75 He is from Shampur of Rajshahl. a village near the university campus.

On a bright sunny day of 1971 Rupchand was called at the union council office at Katakhali (in Rajshahl) in the morning. The office was full of peace committee members. Rupchand was asked why did he go to India. One of the members said, "you are an agent of the Freedom Fighters. You paw information In camps in India" At one stage, Rupchand along with another fellow was at long last declared as enemy agents They were kept in a small room and was tortured severely After an hour of tortui* they were tpken to Zoha Hall of Rajshahl University known as the cantonment of Pak Army then Along with others they were tortured here for four days. On Sunday, eight of them were taken to the Railway Bridge at a nearby place One person was able to untie his rope and tried to run away He was shot dead on the spot

At dead of night they were lined up before a ditch which was dug early by some of them. There was total silence All of a sudden the troops opened brush firing on them. Most of the injured jumped into the ditch. The troops also fired bullets inside the ditch to make sure everyone was dead. Some of them were bayonet charged to see if anybody was alive. Then the ditch was filled with earth and garbage. The army left Rupchand heard from the grave that troops were leaving the area Rupchand was not wounded as the machinegun bullet passed near his ear without touching him. He had lost his hearing power for 14 days He found dead bodies 4111 around him Blood was spilled everywhere. He found himself amidst many dead bodies He tried very hard to remove the earth On top of his body Finally he was successful. He came out from the grave Then he fled the area and walked in fear to his borne after 14 days Carefully he finally reached a place for away and took shelter there

With grief and frustration Rupchand is still alive. With the earning from making handicraft he can still barely support himself and his wife