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People of Magura, Balaganj recall role of FF's, pay tribute to martyrs

Star National Desk
People of Magura and Balaganj in Sylhet paid rich tributes to the martyrs of the liberation war and celebrated the day of freedom yesterday recalling how the valiant freedom fighters freed their motherland from the clutch of the Pakistani occupation forces.
To mark the day, Magura district unit of Muktijoddha Sangsad yesterday placed wreaths at the martyrs' memorial, and held a rally and a discussion meeting, reports ourconespondent.
Speakers at the discussion meeting held at Segunbagicha in the town paid glowing tributes to 38 valiant sons of Magura who embraced martyrdom during tlie nine-month long war of liberation.
The 38 freedom fighters were martyred while fighting at Mohammadpur TTDC camp, Aralia-Sreemantapur road, Sreepur police station camp, Mingram-mandartala road, Binodpur bazaar camp, khamarpara, Kadirpara, Nohata-Joyrampur road, Shailkupa police station and Kamanna under Jhenidah district.
The contributions of the organisers of liberation war were also recalled with due gratitude at the discussion meeting where local freedom fighters in their hundreds attended.
BSS from Sylhet adds: Balagunj was one of the most turbulent places where the Pakistani occupation forces faced stiff resistance from the freedom fighters during the nine-month war ofliberation.
An unspecified number of innocent people of this area were ruthlessly killed by the
Pakistani soldiers, who also burnt into ashes scores of dwelling houses in 1971. Only 300 names could be known from among those who embraced martyrdom during the war.
Despite wanton killing, arson, destruction and looting carried out Ijy the brutal Pakistani army, the Balagunj people by their courage and fortitude have finally won the war. They jumped out to theopenwithjoyofbreakingdown the shackles of subjugation by hoisting first the flag of independ-enceonDecember7in 1971.
Freedom fighter Azizul Kamal along with his fellow fighters hoisted first the flag amid jubilance and cheers of hundreds of locals.
Like every year, tire people of Balagunj yesterday celebrated the occasion as the 'Balagunj liberation day' with due enthusiasm and heart-felt respect for those who made their supreme sacrifices the country's inde-
pendence and also for the valiant fighters of the area.
The ancestral home of the Commander-in-chief of Bangladesh Mukti Bahini General MAG Os many was in Balagunj. During the war, the freedom fighters fought at several places with the Pakistani army including two fierce battles in the neighbouring Sherpurand Shadipurareas.
Following the Pakistani army's crackdown on March 26 in 1971, the freedom fighters gave a good lesson to the invad -ers at Shamsher Nagar airport in Moulvibazar district. The Pakistani soldiers had to retreat toShcrpur.
In Sherpur, situated on the bank of Kushiara river, two platoons of die Pakistani army of the Punjab regiment made their base with machine guns, 3-inch mortars and Chinese rifles.
On die odier side of the river, a large number of freedom fighters led by the Chief of
Staff of Bangladesh Mukti Bahini Col Mohammad Abdur Rob, Major CR Dutta and Commandant Manik Chowdhury took position against the Pakistani enemy.
Members of the then East Pakistan Rifles (EPR) from the nearby border outposts, mujahid, ansar and police together with those led by Dewan Farid Gazi, one of the organisers of die war of liberation on the country's northeast front, formed a highly formidable group of 450 freedom fighters to crush the occupation forces.
On April 5 1971, the freedom fighters witn only 303 rifles cordoned the Pakistani hyenas and fought a seven-hour fierce battie to drive them out of their base.
The Pakistani soldiers finding no other way started fleeing their base and ultimately Sherpur came under the control of the freedom fighters.