Another 58 artists of the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra artists, including the wartime popular satire programme ‘Charampatra’ host MR Akhtar Mukul, filmmaker and actor Shubhash Dutta, singers Timir Nandi and Fakir Alamgir have been recognized as freedom fighters.
In line with a recent decision by the National Freedom Fighters’ Council, the Liberation War Affairs Ministry issued the order on Monday.
Last year in November, another 108 artists of the wartime radio station were granted freedom fighter statuses.
The number of 1971 radio artist granted freedom fighter statuses by the Awami League administration now stands at 253.
When Pakistani army launched ‘Operation Searchlight’ on the night of March 25, 1971, a group of broadcasters and employees of the Chittagong radio station defected and declared their station as the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra (Independent Bangla Radio Station).
The radio station, with help from defected Bengalee officers of the Pakistan army, played a vital role in the war, by broadcasting the Proclamation of Independence.
Following that on March 30, 1971, the station at Chittagong’s Kalurghat was shut after the Pakistani troops attacked it.
Broadcasters, joined by a host of Bengalee artists, then aired programmes and news from several locations in the Indian states of Agartala and Tripura.
After the wartime Bangladesh government took office on April 10, the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra started broadcasting from Kolkata.
Source: The Daily Ittefaq
