The Dakhiganj Baddhyabhumi Dibash-2022 was observed here today paying rich tribute to the 10 martyred intellectuals of Rangpur who were gunned down by the Pakistani occupation army here on April 4, 1971.
The observance began with placing of wreaths by leaders of 'Dakhiganj Baddhyabhumi Smriti Sanrakshan Parishad' at the 'Dakhiganj Shwashan Baddhyabhumi Smriti Soudha' paying homage to the martyred intellectuals in the morning.
Leaders of different organisations and institutions, relatives of the martyred intellectuals, students, youths, civil society members and common people also placed wreaths there. Later, President of 'Dakhiganj Baddhyabhumi Smriti Sanrakshan Parishad' Shushanto Bhowmick presided over a discussion held at the 'Dakhiganj Shwashan Baddhyabhumi Smriti Soudha' premises in the city.
Noted cultural personality and President of Rangpur unit of Ghatok-Dalal Nirmul Committee Dr. Mafizul Islam Maantu, former Vice-principal of Rangpur Government College Professor Md. Mozahar Ali, noted educationist Banamali paul, heroic freedom fighter Ramkrishna Somani, General Secretary of
'Dakhiganj Baddhyabhumi Smriti Sanrakshan Parishad' Debdas Ghosh Debu and its Treasuer Advocate Polash Kanti Nag addressed the discussion.
The speakers said the Pakistani occupation army with local non-Bengali Behari collaborators caught 11 brilliant sons of Rangpur from their houses on March 27, 1971 and forcibly took them to Rangpur cantonment.
The occupation army and their Behari collaborators conducted barbaric physical tortures causing intolerable pains and sufferings to them for several days.
Later, the occupation army with local non-Bengali Behari collaborators took them to Dakhiganj Shwashan (crematory) Baddhyabhumi in the eastern part of the city and gunned them down by opening brass fire on April 4, 1971.
Fortunately, one of them, Awami League (AL) leader Dr. Dinesh Chandra Bhowmick alias Mantu Daktar, who received eight bullets, escaped the horror. "Mantu Daktar was then taken to India where he joined the 'Mukti Bahini' after getting proper treatment and fought to liberate the country by killing many enemy soldiers in the war fronts," said Dr. Mafizul Islam Maantu.
The 10 martyred intellectuals are: Advocate Mahfuz Ali Zorjes, Khitish Halder, Ehsanul Haque Dulal, Rafiqul Islam Rafique, Dhirendranath Shanti Chaki, Durga Das Adhikari, Gopal Chandra, Tofazzal Hossain Moharram, Uttam Kumar Adhikari and Pagla Darbesh. Shushanto Bhowmick, youngest son of heroic freedom fighter Dr. Dinesh Chandra Bhowmick alias Mantu Daktar, said the occupation forces killed the 10 intellectuals of Rangpur on April 4, 1971 to make the Rangpur people talentless.
"The supreme sacrifice of the intellectuals triggered mass anger among the Rangpur people uniting them to snatch away Independence at any cost," Bhowmick said.
"As a part of their heinous conspiracy, the occupation army killed the 10 intellectuals on April 4 further igniting sleeping heroism in every Bangalee of Rangpur region when they started joining the 'Mukti Bahini' en-masse," Bhowmick added.
