Rangpur people sacrifice three heroic sons

Rangpur people sacrificed three heroic sons while taking part in curfew-breaking protest processions during the non-cooperation movement against the Pakistanis regime on March 3, 1971 in the city.

The three martyred sons of Rangpur were Sangku Samajhder, 12, a student of class six, college student Abul Kalam Azad, 22, and government employee Omar Ali, 45.

Heroic freedom fighters, senior citizens and academics said supreme sacrifice of the three brave sons instantly ignited anger among Rangpur people uniting them to snatch away independence at any costs.

“The city turned volatile since March 1 when hatred Pakistani junta Yahiya Khan cancelled the scheduled parliament session on March 3, 1971 declaring a curfew on the day,” said former Treasurer of Begum Rokeya University Professor Mozammel Haque.

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with huge hatred vehemently rejected cancellation of the scheduled parliament session and called strike on March 2 in Dhaka and March 3 throughout the country.

“A meeting of student leaders was held at ‘Panga House’ in the city on March 2 chalked out next strategies with Chhatra League leader Rafikul Islam Golap in the chair,” General Secretary of district Ghatok Dalal Nirmul Committee Moazzem Hossain Lablu said.

Consequently, tens of thousands of people brought out massive protest processions breaking curfew on March 3 in the city when the whole Bangalee nation was in unprecedented non- cooperation movements against the Pakistani regime.

“At about 9 am, Sangku of Guptapara area, came out without taking breakfast along with his elder brother Kumaresh Samajhder Babu, a student of class eight, and participated in the curfew-breaking processions,” Lablu said.

Heroic freedom fighter Akbor Hossain said the brave Bangalees paraded streets chanting slogans ‘Tomar Amar Thikana- Padma Meghna Jamuna’, ‘Tomar Neta, Amar Neta- Sheikh Mujib, Sheikh Mujib’, ‘Yahiyar Mukhe lathi Maro- Bangladesh Swadhin Karo’---.

Originating from Kachari Bazar, student leaders from different areas organized the curfew-breaking spontaneous rally that was also attended by the then Awami League leader Siddique Hossain with hundreds of leaders and workers.

“At one stage, Behari Sarforaz Khan opened gunfire from his house in Alamnagar area at the protest processions critically injuring Sangku,” said former district unit Commander of Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangshad heroic freedom fighter Mosaddek Hossain Bablu. Later, Sangku succumbed on the way to hospital at 9:30 am.

“Sangku was the country’s first martyr who was killed at around 9:30 am by non-Bengali Beharis though many other heroic sons embraced martyrdom on the same day across the country on March 3, 1971 after 9:30 am,” he said.