My Walks of Liberation War in India (Part-1)
This is a rough translation of Dr Zafarullah Chowdhury, a renowned physician and health activist’s memoir-based commentary on the Independence War of Bangladesh, 1971 in India. He was one of the founders of Bangladesh Field Hospital temporarily dedicated to the war-wounded freedom fighters in 1971. Recently his expert team announced to invent and serve kits to detect Coronavirus at a lesser price. This article is first published in a weekly named Shaptahik(December 14, 2017).
After two days, with a plane of Indian Airlines, we arrived at Dum Dum airport, Kolkata(from London). We being endeavored and tensed as well hired a taxi to High Commission, Bangladesh. We had some fancy suppositions that the High Commission would be dedicated to 24X7 services with untiring works. But stepping there, I felt the whole office is hushed and dim. Several constant informing finally resulted to contact with Mr. Hossein Ali, ex-deputy commissioner of Pakistan then a representative of Bangladesh Govt in Kolkata. Listening to us, he seemed disturbed telling us why we got there as there were no arrangements of food and stay-on. He then advised us to spend that night in a hotel named Liton Hotel, which had air-conditioned spaces. We got backlashed a bit as we hadn’t joined that fight to enjoy luxury. Instead, we would be happy if they could manage a floor-ridden bed for us in the HC office and the money out from amenities be spent for freedom fighters.
The next day we met many people from Bangladesh there; university teachers, students to politicians. They all echoed the same things that they were in crisis, of foods and habitats. They asked us they are here as their lives were at stake in Bangladesh, but why are you? Some prayed to us to help them out abroad.
We met there Barrister Moudud, Barrister Amirul Islam, and Mahbubul Alam Chashi, Foreign Secretary of Provisional Government stationed in Kolkata. Mr. Chashi took us to visit the Provisional Government office at 8. no Theatre Road. We there firstly met Col. Ataul Goni Osmani though I had personal interactions with him before. In 1962–63 Col. Osmani had an official visit to Dhaka from Rawalpindi to inspire young heads to join Armed Forces. He seemed pretty flexible with his Sylheti dialect and English over Bangla.
Col. Osmani extended his hand towards us and, perceiving that we have come from London, said: Welcome, youngmen! How’s London nowadays? How are Tasadduk and his The Ganges (restaurant)? Stay connected to the People of Sylhet over there. Refer my name there, and the people of Sylhet in London will help you unconditionally. He then led us to the Prime Minister of Provisional Government, Mr. Tajuddin Ahmed. We noticed Mr. Tajuddin being in deep contemplation. He offered us to sit and asked about Justice Abu Sayeed Chowdhury and about how he was surviving in between the conflicts and fights among the Bengalis there. Are all the left-oriented parties still with Mr. A. Sayeed Chowdhury? He further asked. “Our fight is on and will be so till be free from the clusters of the forces of Pakistan. Go, see with your own eyes, please, call on to the Bengali immigrants in the UK to extend their hands unitedly for this fight. The doctors in the UK have high earnings” he urged.
He added more, “The war is running on in Jessore Cantonment; observe it from Agartala Border. Preparations for Guerilla attacks also have already begun; our “Muktibahini(Geurelila force)” soon will fight across the country, internally.”
The whole message from Mr. Tajuddin gave us heartful inspiration and hope. We discerned that the authority finally had come to its perfect hands. Unlike the UK, an essence of unity might be existing there. But our whole perception was yet to be shattered down.
