Resistance at Feni during the Liberation War

The present-day Feni district was a subdivision under Noakhali district during the liberation war. It had a huge strategic importance during the war, as both the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway and the Dhaka-Chittagong Railway passed through the town. The first battle of resistance at Feni during the liberation war took place on 27 and 28 March 1971, when 27 freedom fighters had to embrace martyrdom.Butwhen the Pakistani troops finally surrendered to the freedom fighters during this battle, the agitated mob killed nine of them through mass beating.

When news spread about the genocidal attack of the Pakistani military against unarmed civilians across Bangladesh, it also reached the Bangali EPR members stationed at Bilonia border outpost (BOP). Out of love for their motherland, they left the camp and prepared for a war of resistance against the invading forces. On the other hand, a number of non-Bangali troops from the BOP came to Feni town on 26 March and took up position at the office of Circle Officer (CO,Development) adjacent to the old airport. News circulated that they would launch an attack on Feni at any time from there. This news was conveyed to the Noakhali district headquarters at Maijdi and the local Awami League leader Khwaja Ahmad MNA. But the Pakistani troops did not launch any attack until 2-3 pm afternoon on that day.

Meanwhile, the local political leaders sat at a meeting with the retired members of the armed forces as well as those who had arrived on leave or through desertion. They decided that the Pakistani troops should be attacked before they could launch any assault. After adoption of this decision, thousands of unarmed freedom-seeking people laid siege to the Feni CO office by risking their lives.

There were no exchanges of fire on 26 March. But in the morning of 27 March, the local leaders moved the masses surrounding the CO office to a safe distance in accordance with the advice received from the district headquarters. Almost instantaneously, heavy exchanges of fire commenced between the two sides. The Bangali members of police, EPR, and armed forces who had gathered from different places of Feni and district headquarters engaged in an armed combat by relying on their ordinary 303 rifles. They were in fact gambling with their fate. The retired army officer Captain Golam Mowla, Subedar Abu Ahmad, Subedar Siddique Ahmad, and Professor Mujibur Rahman spearheaded this battle of resistance. There were intense exchanges of fire between the two sides throughout the day and night of 27 March. Compared to the arms possessed by the freedom fighters, the Pakistani forces had heavier and modern weaponry.

On the other hand, the freedom fighters had steely resolve. Twenty-seven Ansar members were martyred during this battle of resistance of 27 March. But this news was kept secret then, so that the freedom fighters and the freedom-seeking people were not alarmed or frightened.

Many more soldiers of military and non-military background joined the battle by arriving from different areas of Feni within the dawn of 28 March. Although the resistance fighters could not procure heavy weaponry, their combined attack led to a shift in the battle dynamics. As instructed by Captain Mowla, the Bangali soldiers were able to reach close to the Pakistani troops stationed at Feni CO office by risking their lives. Towards 10 am in the morning, the Pakistani soldiers realized that their ammunition was almost exhausted; and they could not continue the combat. Sensing the deft attack by the Bangali soldiers who were crawling forward towards them, and seeing no other option, the Pakistani troops came down from the first floor of CO office and then surrendered to the freedom fighters. The battle stopped as a result.

Thousands of agitated mobs who were standing all around then swiftly ran towards the CO office. Without waiting for the consent of battling Bangali troops, they killed 9 Pakistani soldiers on the spot through mass beating. The people dragged their corpses to Feni town. After that, eminent political leader and a principal organizer of the liberation war Khwaja Ahmad MNA, ABM Abu Taleb MPA and other political cum student leaders pacified the angry crowd. They buried the corpses of the Pakistani troops on the eastern bank of RajarJhi Dighi (large pond) of Feni town. This initial success in the war of resistance at Feni remains as a memorable episode in the history of the liberation war.

Following this battle, Feni town remained free from enemy occupation up to 23 April. In mid-April, the Pakistani air force carried out bombing campaign on Feni town twice. Then news arrived on 23 April that a large contingent of the Pakistani troops were heading towards Feni with heavy weapons via nearby Laksam. When the political leaders learned about the planned attack by the Pakistani forces from three sides, they decided to lift the resistance and send the freedom fighters to India for receiving training. The Pakistani soldiers entered Feni in the morning of 23 April and set up camps at Feni College, Feni Pilot Highschool, Feni Polytechnic Institute, Teachers' Training College, Dost Textiles Mills, Feni Stadium, Feni Railway Station, Mohammad Ali Bazaar, PanchgachhiaKrishi Khamar, Rest House of Mohipal Electricity Office, Dewanganj Moktar Bari, Rajapur Union Parishad Building, Circle Officer's Office, Dhumghat, Feni Trunk Road, GolakanandaOushadhalay Building, and Dhalia Highschool Camp. But their main base was at Feni Pilot Highschool and Feni College campus, with the latter's auditorium serving as the principal torture centre in the town.

While entering the town, the Pakistani soldiers set fire to many houses in the vicinity including Dewanganj and Amtali, and resorted to looting. Then immediately after occupying Feni town, they conducted raids at Majlishpur and Motua villages under Dharmapur union on 24 April and killed about fifty men, women and children. This is known as Majlishpur-Motua Genocide. This was followed by the 'Joar Kachhar Genocide' where many innocent people were killed, of whom the names of 19 could be gathered. The Pakistani troops also carried out genocides at Parshuram High School on 13 July and 12 August.

Two battles took place between the Pakistani forces and the freedom fighters in Feni sadar upazila. The Dhalia Razakar Camp Operation was conducted in the first week of September. The freedom fighters could recover 10 Chinese rifles and a large quantity of ammunition from the camp after the Razakars and militia forces fled as they could not cope with the assault. The Daulatpur Camp Operation took place on 23 October, when a Pakistani Major and one soldier were killed on the spot. Another four Pakistani troops were captured while trying to escape.

Towards the end of the liberation war, the Muktibahini and the allied forces launched a joint attack on Feni after the Indo-Pak war formally commenced from 3 December 1971. The Pakistani forces headed for Cumilla cantonment by fleeing from Feni on the night of 5 December, as they were unable towithstand the allied assault on Feni. The local Razakars also escaped leaving behind their weapons. The Muktibahini and the allied forces then liberated Feni on 6 December. When this news spread, the freedom-seeking people came out in large numbers and expressed their joy through victory procession by holding aloft the red and green national flag of Bangladesh. A mass-grave was discovered in the playing field of Feni College after the town was liberated.

The decorated freedom fighters of Feni sadar upazila included the renowned naval commando and commander of the 'Operation Jackpot' Commodore Abdul Wahed Chowdhury, who was decorated with both 'Bir Uttam' and 'Bir Bikram' titles because of his exceptional valour. Another outstanding freedom fighter of Feni was the martyred Captain Salahuddin Mumtaz Bir Uttam, who embraced martyrdom while valiantly fighting the Pakistani troops during the famous Battle of Kamalpur BOP. The Ghatail Cantonment of Bangladesh Army has been named after him. The sub-sector commander of sector-2 during the liberation war and the founding CO of 10th East Bengal Regiment Lt. Col. Zafar Imam Bir Bikram also hailed from Feni.

Dr Helal Uddin Ahmed is a former Editor of Bangladesh Quarterly.

[email protected]