By Dr Aynal Haque
 
RAJSHAHI, March 5, 2022 (BSS) - The overall situation in the Rajshahi city
became volatile amid the spontaneous protest of general masses since March 1
in 1971 when the then Pakistani rulers had postponed the scheduled March 3
session of National Assembly.
 
Suspension of the scheduled parliament session by the Pakistani junta, as
part of a heinous conspiracy, instantly turned the Rajshahi people
revolutionary since the beginning of March in 1971 with impulsive protest of
the common people.
 
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman rejected cancellation
of the scheduled parliament session and called for strike on March 2 in Dhaka
and on March 3 throughout the country.
 
Dr Tasiqul Islam Raja, retired principal of Shahmukhdum Degree College, said
thousands of people thronged the city streets spontaneously under the banner
of Sarbadaliyo Chhatra Sangram Parishad and Sramik Sangram Parishad.
 
He said the people demonstrated their protest and demanded immediate handover
of power to Awami League, the party which secured a great majority in the
1970 general election.
 
Public and private offices and business activities came into a total halt,
academic activities of the educational institutions were suspended while
production in mills and factories throughout the city remained stopped for an
indefinite period.
 
It was part of a spontaneous protest that turned the city into a place of
fierce movement and demonstrations. Total general strike was observed in the
city paralyzing the civic lives and business activities.
 
To gear up the movement, a cross-section of freedom-loving people staged
processions stretching eight-kilometer from Rajshahi University to Rajshahi
court breaking curfew on March 3 in line with the central programmes.
 
The pro-liberation Bangalees paraded the city streets here chanting slogans
'Jago Jago Bangali Jago,' 'Beer Bangalee astro Dhoro, Bangladesh Swadheen
koro.'
 
At around 11.30 am on the same day, the then occupation forces from the
adjacent Telephone Exchange Building opened fire on procession in Ranibazar
area killing one person and injuring many others.
 
The brutal attack and killing of innocent people had fuelled fiery minds of
the protesting people and the movement got new momentum with more vigorous
protest at most of the parts of the city and districts.
 
During the liberation war of 1971, Rajshahi witnessed both atrocities by the
Pakistan army and heroic struggles by the freedom fighters.
 
The largest mass grave in Bangladesh is located in Rajshahi University, which
was used as a Pakistani army camp during the liberation war of 1971, recalled
by valiant freedom fighter Dr Abdul Mannan.
 
On the other hand, one of the biggest great battles of the liberation war
took place near Rajshahi. Captain Mohiuddin Jahangir, who died in the battle,
was awarded the highest honour (Bir Sreshtho) by the Bangladesh government
after the war.
 
Rajshahi University contributed lot to the war of independence from the
massive movement in 1969 to protest the illegal and unlawful tyranny of the
Pakistani government.

On February 18, 1969, the students of the university brought out a protest
procession where the police force took preparations to shoot at the
procession.
 
Dr. Shamsuzzoha, the then proctor and professor of the department of
chemistry, laid down his life to save the students from the bullet fired by
the then Pakistani law-enforcing agency.
 
During the liberation war, Rajshahi University teachers, officials and
students played an imperative role to free the country from the Pakistani
forces.
 
The Shabash Bangladesh Chhattar, martyr archives, shaheed smrity
sangrahasala, mass grave yard and tombs of Dr. Shamsuzzoha, Sukhrojjon
Samaddar, Mir Abdul Qaiyum and Shaheed Habibur Rahman and alive freedom
fighters here bears the glorious history of independence.