CHUADANGA, Dec 11: December 7 is a red letter day in the histoiy of the War of Liber-. ation of the country as well as in the history of Chuadanga. On this day 27 years ago Chuadanga was liberated from the clutch of the Occupation Pakistan Army.
The situation was very tense on December 6 in 1971. Since early morning fighting erupted on the north-western and northeastern sides of Chuadanga between the freedom fighters and the Occupation Pakistan Army.
It was between 10 am and 11 am on December 6, 1971 the freedom fighters who took shelter in Uzirpur. Pirpur and Fakirpara villages in Damurhuda thana of the then Chuadanga sub-division received information that the Pak Army troops had been heading towards Chuadanga from then Occupation Pakistan Army bases at Damurhuda. Karpashdanga and Jibannagar.
The freedom fighters decided to halt the entrance of the Occupation Pakistan Army in Chuadanga town.
As decided by the freedom fighters mines were laid beneath the culvert on Chua-danga-Karpashdanga main road to stop advance of the enemy forces from crossing Karpashdanga. But due to some mistakes the entire plan wasted as a villager unaware of the mines crossed the culvert with his cart. One of the mines blew up the culvert killing the man on the spot. Then the freedom fighters nad to abandone this plan.
“ The Mathabhanga riv^r is situated near Chuadanga-Damurhuda main road. Village Uzirpur is two miles from Chuadanga. Pirpur village is on the other side of the river Mathabhanga. Pirpur village is also very close to Uzirpur village. After failing with the first plan the freedom fighters decided to take shelter at village Fakirpara. Accordingly the freedom fishters crossed the river Mathabhanga and shifted their shleter at village Pirpur in two groups. They topk position on both sides, as planned, to attack the enemy whenever they arrive.
In the meantime, the Occupation Pakistan Army reached near village Uzirpur and took position by the side of river Mathabhanga close to Chuadanga-Damurhuda main road.
Here the the freedom fighters locked in a fierce face to face battle with the enemy.
During the fighting the freedom fighters first opened fire on the Occupation Pakistan Army. The enemy returned fire. The exchange of fire continued for hours together. The freedom fighters, however, did not advance. But they did not allow the enemy to advance. Using this tactics the freedom fighters intercepted the enemy forces' advance for about four to five
The aim of this plan of the freedom fighters was Just to keep the foes engaged In fighting and delaying their advance.
In the meantime, a messenger was sent to Chuadanga town to see the real situation there. Another group of freedom fighters were fighting then with the brutal force from village Pir-
pur.
After some time the messenger returned from Chuaddnga and informed that Chuadanga was calm and the enemy troops had been retreating from Chuadanga towards Alam-danga. Under such circumstances the freedom fighters stopped firing. Later on they moved from village Pirpur to village Alokdia, three miles west of Chuadanga town on Chuadanga-Meherpur main road.
Billal led the freedom fighters in this fighting. The names of other freedom fighters such as Abdar. Menal, Montu. Alam. Abdur Rahman. Lantu. Bablu. Zafar are worth mentioning who took active part In this battle.
At that time the enemy forces were also retreating from different parts of Alamdanga thana under the then Chuadanga Sub-division.
The enemy intended to control Kushtia and accordingly they were retreating to wards Kushtia from Chuadanga and Alamdanga.
The enemy troops stationed at Meherpur also retreated to come to Chuadanga.
Meherpur is 18 miles from Chuadanga toward the west. Explosives were set up all along 18 miles long road from Chuadanga to Meherpur. As a result the Occupation Pakistan Army troops reached at 6 in the evening on December 6 on foot and later they left Chudanga for Alamdanga the same night to reach Kushtia.
Before ieav^ig Chuadanga... the Ocfcupaijon Army left %iut^ 200 guns at the local town fo<*- * ball ground. Besides, before leaving Chuadanga in the evening on December 6 the Pak Army blew up the estern side of the bridge on the river Mathabhanga by charging high powered explosives.
The entire Pak Army troops who were stationed at Chuadanga stopped firing on some important places of Chuadanga town at that night.
Having this information the freedom fighters arrived Chuadanga from different sides and thus on December 7, 1971 Chuadanga was freed totally from the occupation of Pak
iZmay be noted here that as soon as the War of Liberation began on March 26. 1971, a four-member advisory committee was formed at Chuadanga to conduct the warfare there. Chuadanga was the southwestern war front. It was made the provisional (temporary) capital of Independent Bangladesh during the War of Liberation.
The advisory committee was formed with Dr Ashabul Hoque. the then Awami League MP as its Chief Advisor while the other members of the committee were Barrister Badal Rashid, former MP and Advocate Eunus Ali, former MP and now local Awami League chief. Barrister Badal Rashid expired in 1993.
The then wing commander of EPR now BDR stationed at Chuadanga Major Abu Osman Choudhary (now retired Lt col) ‘who also a member of the advisory committee led the War of Liberation in this region. Chuadanga was occupied by the Occupation Pak Army on April 15, 1971 and was liberated on December 7. the same year.