On this day in 1971, Kotalipara, Gopalganj, was liberated from the Pakistani occupation forces.
Valiant freedom fighters hoisted the flag of independent Bangladesh in Kotalipara of Gopalganj by defeating the Pakistan occupation forces.
“Hemayet Bahini”, who played a glorious role in the struggle for freedom in the region during the war, freed Kotalipara by defeating about a 500-strong Pakistan army team.
Before dawn, the freedom fighters led by commander Hemayet started an attack from four sides and forced over 400 Pakistani soldiers to surrender to Hemayet Bahini at 10am on December 3.
The Pakistani army and its allies were in a very strong position in this region.
Hemayet Uddin, hailing from Kotalipara, previously a soldier of the Pakistan Army, escaped from Pakistan when the war started and built his own force. He established a freedom fighter training camp in Kotalipara where men as well as women were given combat training. During the Liberation War, Hemayet Bahini fought several frontal battles.
Notable battles also took place at Harinahati, Matibhanga, Bashbaria, Jhanjhania, Ramsheel, Jaharer Kandi, Kotalipara Sadar, etc. Apart from this, there were several small battles. And all these battles were led by Hemayet Bahini chief Hemayet Uddin Bir Bikram.
Hemayet Bahini was formed from Faridpur and Barisal regions. Consisting of 72 groups, Hemayet Bahini fought in the battlefields of the Liberation War. Twenty-four people of the force were injured and 18 freedom fighters were martyred in frontal battles with the occupation forces.
During the war, members of Hemayet Bahini conducted 134 operations. The battle of Ramsheel is one of them. Hemayet Uddin received critical injuries in the battle.
He was awarded the title of Bir Bikram by the state after independence for his outstanding contributions in war.
Rabindra Nath Adhikari, a veteran journalist and history researcher of Gopalganj, said to commemorate the contribution of Hemayet Bahini in the war, the government has established a memorial museum in Tupuria village of Kotalipara. The museum carries the memories of the Liberation War. The new generation will be able to know about the history of the war and valiant freedom fighters.
Brave freedom fighter Sheikh Lutfar Rahman, a member of Hemayet Bahini, said only the joint forces did not fight for the motherland in the great liberation war of 1971. Responding to the call of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, some forces were formed in several regions of the country at that time. Hemayet Bahini was formed from Faridpur and Barisal regions.
“We fought the liberation war under Hemayet Bahini and made the country independent. The history of Bangabandhu, war and glory of Bangladesh should be told to the new generation,” he said.
They should be inspired by the spirit of the Liberation War and the ideology of Bangabandhu. For this, when Awami League, the ruling party in the Liberation War, came to power again, they built the Hemayet Bahini Museum. This museum should be enriched. It will tell the story of Bengali heroism to the young generation, he further added.
