Written by a fighter participating on the liberation war
Bangladesh Chronicle 12 March 2023
কারো দয়ায় নই এই অর্জন
এ ছিল আমাদের একান্ত প্রাপ্য, একান্ত অধিকার
তুমি তো চিলে বহু দিনের লালিত স্বপ্ন!!
Some pundits think India liberated Bangladesh. Indian slaves, the Awamis, also think so. That is the Indian concept. They took the surrender of the defeated Pakistan military, to the exclusion of the Bangladesh liberation forces, on the soil soaked by the blood of the fighters. A betrayal to Bangladesh!
Others think it was a Civil War in East Pakistan. That is the Pakistani concept. Until March 27, 1971, it perhaps was a civil war, but after the declaration of Independence on March 27, 1971 by then Major Ziaur Rahman, it became an Independence or Liberation war. If Pakistan survived, it could have been termed as civil war and the fighters would have faced the gallows.
I wish these pundits and Indian slaves were in the war fronts and understood the liberation war—much of which was unconventional; as such, holding ground was not contemplated until Oct/Nov– which practically started on the night of March 25, 1971. India jointed the formal conflict on December 4, 1971, only to see its end in a few days. Before that, India was on a supporting role providing logistics and sanctuary to the freedom fighters. At times, Indian forces did provide some limited fire support from behind.
Sorry, if I drifted astray. When someone undermines the sacrifices of the freedom fighters in 1971, I get somewhat emotional. I have seen how our fighters fought and died for Bangladesh. There might be many paper-fighters but that does not erase the contribution and bloodletting of the real fighters.
